[Ranma/Rayearth][FanFic] A Duet of Pigtails, Part Seven: Commencement of War

[Rob Barba]

This is being posted for Libby Thomas. She can be reached at
aduetof...@cephiro.com, or by her webiste at
http://yogipigs.megami.net/Duet/
--
Ja ne,
Rob
"I need George Orwell to break this down into livestock terms for me."
primary: ash...@cchono.com secondary: ma...@megami.net
AIM: CaliCatCaf ICQ: 45925353

A Duet of Pigtails
By Libby Thomas

Based on the characters and storylines of _Ranma 1/2_ by Rumiko Takahashi
and _Magic Knight Rayearth_ by CLAMP

Part Seven:
Commencement of War

Morning dawned on Cephiro.

Hikaru stretched and yawned, feeling a bit drained, but otherwise
well-rested. At her side, Ranma slept somewhat peacefully. Looking at him
lovingly, she thought that he deserved the rest--they had been fairly active
the previous night. Kissing him gently on the cheek, she thought about
getting up and making them breakfast, but the bed was warm and the nearest
thing she could cover herself with was out of immediate reach.

Unfortunately, beauty's kiss was what woke up the sleeping beast.

"Ohayo, sweetheart," Ranma said, his arm reaching around her and giving her
a kiss...

...which stopped as he stared in total shock, realizing who he was kissing.
Hikaru ran a hand through her long black hair, gazing at him with bedroom
eyes. "You were wonderful last night, Ranma darling." Hichan gave him a
passionate kiss before asking in a kittenish voice, "Can we do it again,
loverboy?"

"Bu-bu-bu-but I.... You and I couldn't have.... But where's my wi--"

A gasp sounded behind him, and the martial artist turned to find his spouse,
a look of pain and shock on her face. "Ranma! How could you! I thought
you loved me!" Her face was a study of betrayal, tears running down her
face. "I thought we were forever, anata! I thought it would be you and me,
always!"

"But Hikaru, I--" he tried to explain, though in vain as Hichan wrapped her
arms around him and started nibbling on his ear. "Um, would you stop that?"

"But Ranma dearest," Hichan said. "You didn't complain about it last night.
In fact, I don't recall you complaining about this, either." Getting on top
of him, she began to rub herself up and down the length of his body, and it
didn't take rocket science to see what she wanted.

*"RANMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!"* The Voice of the Gods roared at him, calling death
on nigh. Ranma looked behind Hichan, knowing that voice as much as he knew
anyone's. Sure enough, standing there with the fury of a thousand burning
stars, wielding her familiar Mallet O' Doom, was Akane. *"BAD ENOUGH THAT
YOU HAVE TO FLIRT WITH A BILLION WOMEN, THEN GO MARRY SOMEONE ELSE AFTER I
DIE, BUT NOW YOU'RE GOING TO CHEAT ON HER, TOO? YOU PERVERT!"* Without
further ceremony, Akane raised the mallet over her head and it didn't take
rocket science to see what *she* wanted.

*"Akane! Hikaru! I didn't--"* Ranma protested, but was silenced by another
passionate kiss from Hichan as she said in a breathy voice, "Let's make
babies, Ranma darling."

An indescribable sob of utter sorrow issued from the redhead's lips.

*"RANMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DIE, YOU BAKA!!!!!!!!!!!"* Akane screamed, as she
swung the mallet down as hard as she could....

~*~

*"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
*

Ranma bolted upright, unable to contain the shout of panic that set into his
mind. Rivulets of cold sweat rolled down his face and body, and he panted
from the surprise. At his side, Hikaru turned and mumbled, "Anata, go back
to bed. It's too early to be up."

Slowly and panicky, Ranma turned and looked at the woman sharing his bed.
Red hair, check; similar in looks to his female side, check. All was right
with the world. So far. Instinctively, Ranma grabbed his wife and held her
close to him, as though he wanted to molecularly bond with her...or at least
get closer than they'd been during the course of the night.

"Hey, Ranma!" she said, "what's with--" An angel's breath later, she looked
at him with eyes of understanding as she quickly heard his panicked
explanation. "Anata, do you ever think I'd let her that close to you?" She
leaned up against him, returning his embrace. "Like you said last night,
there's nothing that can ever separate us." She smiled and kissed him
gently. "Well, at least there's one good thing about that hussy: she does
have good taste in men." Her countenance changed to a slightly more somber
one as she said, "And to think that'll probably be the last night of peace
we're going to have in a while, too."

"You think so?" he asked, sliding out of bed. Hikaru held onto him from
behind, her love for him present through her embrace.

"Just the memories alone of the last two times I was here is enough to
ensure that. I remember when I was younger, I thought about the spectacular
battles and glorious stuff of war...the stuff they teach in the history
books and all that. I remember my parents always filling me and my
brother's heads with all of those stories. Of course, I never told the
others, lest they think I was some sort of ginsu freak or something. But
nonetheless, the stories stayed in my head at the time." She grew deathly
quiet for a second, a harbinger for her words to follow: "Until I learned
that it was all a lie when I killed Emeraude. And Eagle."

"I thought that you didn't...." he began, not sure if that was a good idea.
For years, she'd made vague mention of what had happened to her lover,
Eagle. But now in one swoop, she was telling him a different answer--the
truth.

"I know what I told everyone, that he succumbed to a combination of his
madness and the cancers that ate him alive. I just failed to mention that
it was the cancer that had driven him to madness, and that he challenged me
for the mantle of the Pillar. When we both touched the barest edges of the
power that one of us would carry, I saw the look in his eyes and what the
taste of power absolute would do to him in his madness. I couldn't let him
have it, no matter what my feelings were for him. He'd gone insane--this
universe might've been destroyed by him." Her voice was oddly quiet and her
eyes were distant; though the tears had been diminished over time, the
sorrow wasn't. "I did what I had to do, and I did what I know was the right
thing," she said to no one in particular, "but I wonder if I set a
precedent."

"Meaning?"

"That a Pillar must be killed to be succeeded," she answered, looking into
his eyes as she climbed off the bed herself. "I tried to abolish it, and it
didn't happen. There has to be a Pillar. I killed Emeraude, then Eagle,
and now I am the Pillar."

"As Nabiki would say, that's faulty thinking," Ranma answered, leading her
to the bathing room, which had magically been prepared for the both of them.
"Weren't you the one who told me that Emeraude had never led a normal life?
That from her very birth she'd succeeded the previous Pillar? And her
downfall was a normal human emotion--love--and she overreacted so much that
you were summoned to set things in motion."

"The Pillar isn't supposed to wish for her own happiness," Hikaru intoned
the old law with grave reverence.

"Well, in that case, Pillar, explain last night, then." He graced her with
one of his trademark grins as they stepped into the shower area, and it made
her heart tingle. "See? You're the Pillar and you've not only wished for
your own happiness, you've made it. But what I'm trying to say is that from
what I've seen and what you've said, being a Pillar sort of requires a
martial artist's flexibility. Maybe the others were too rigid in a way of
thought to be able to handle it; while you're still the Pillar...and this is
the first time you've been back to this universe in ages? After all,
weren't you the one who tried to get rid of your own power because you
thought it was too unfair for one person to have that much power? That in
itself speaks of a flexibility that I know most people don't have, much less
gods and kami."

At this time, the showers kicked in, a glistening cascade of soft cool water
that seemed to originate from nowhere and go back to nowhere; an ideal
recycling system. The two women continued their conversation, Ranma's
gender changes still a bit discomforting to Hikaru's eyes but nothing she
hadn't seen before. "You know, anata, I'd never thought of that before.
Leave it to you to think of the answer."

Ranma shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Credit yourself, dear. I just
put the puzzle pieces together and do husband-type stuff." As both quickly
showered, the two redheads looked at each other. "Besides, anyone that
wants to kill you has to come through me, first." Ranma kissed her wife
gently, then both got into the furo, with only one remaining female in
gender. "I'll fight to the very end before they come anywhere near you,
dearest," he added, his voice dropping in octaves as the changes occurred.

"And they would have to answer to me if they so much as harmed a hair on
your head," she said, though she winced slightly as she watched Ranma go
through his transformation. Changing the subject, she commented, "I'm sorry
that I couldn't remove the curse from you."

A brow arched. "You tried?" Admittedly, he hadn't even thought of asking
her, but....

"Un. While you were asleep last night, I spent a couple of hours looking
into it. I wanted it to be a surprise for you."

"Sweetheart, you didn't have to...."

"I know how much it bothers you when you're in female form...even if it
happens to remind you of your loving wife," she giggled. "Anyways, I'm not
sure why I couldn't break the spell. I don't know if it's because it's an
Earth spell, or if it's because it's a curse, or whatever. All I can say is
that by the time I went back to sleep, I had a really bad headache. Maybe
the only way to cure it was Jusenkyo itself, and as you told me, it's
destroyed now." She paused in thought, before adding, "If you'd like, I can
ask Clef to look into it. He's more practical at that sort of thing, and he
might be able to figure it out for you." Unspoken was the fact that if the
Pillar couldn't do it, the Guru shouldn't have much better odds.

At the mention of Clef's name, Ranma leaned back in the furo, thinking of
what the Guru had told him just the day before: (("You have a destiny about
you Ranma, one that is perhaps even more convoluted than that of your
wife's.")) "No, dear, don't worry about it. I've kinda grown used to it
over the years. Besides, something tells me that it might just come in
handy."

Hikaru smiled softly. "Good. I was so worked up about it, I could have
sworn I sensed three other Jusenkyo curses on the planet. It was probably
nothing more than the mystic echoes of your curse, though." Hikaru leaned
back against her side of the tub and sighed in relaxation, closing her eyes,
which was fortunate for her husband. For if she'd kept them open, she would
have wanted an explanation for the look of surprise on his face.

((Four Jusenkyo curses, here? Ryoga an' me, that's two of them...so who's
the other two?))

~*~

There were times, Michael had to admit, that his less than desired duck form
came in handy. For one, it was good for hiding in small spaces, and a big
asset in what was termed "sustainable detection avoidance", basically not
getting caught.

Like right now, for example.

Wandering around the room, rooting in the closets and other parts of the
chambers set aside for him was Shiki, pushing a massive cart of breakfast
for two. "C'mon out, Michael-kun! I had breakfast especially prepared for
us, too!" the girl pouted, wondering where her dreamboat of a man was.
There was no trace of him, sadly, though there were duck feathers in the
bathroom--Shiki had no idea what to make of that. Stopping by the desk she
stopped to pen a little note for him, then quietly slipped out of the room.

Michael slowly flew up to where the note was, opening it with his beak and
taking the time to read it. Shaking his head in what was a pleasant little
way, he was touched. The girl really did have feelings for him, it seemed,
enough to make her write poetry on a level to make Kuno's look good. He
also felt touched that she would need to bring him breakfast. Flying back
to the bathroom, he only wished that she'd have settled on a more realistic
time for breakfast...say, unlike, four in the morning.

~*~

"Fuu, are you too busy this morning before the meeting, or do we have time
to talk?" a man asked.

The queen, in her office at the moment, felt a little better about that
voice. "Come in, Ascot, and have a seat. I'm always available for my
friends. Care for anything to drink?" she asked, motioning to the coffee
carafe sitting on a nearby dais.

"No, but I thank you, though." The beastmaster sat down at the seat next to
the desk. "Now that the ARK CEPHIRO is back from our scouting mission of
Chizetam and Fahren, and we'll be here for repairs for a while, I'd like to
take some time when possible and check in on my wife, if Sintra hasn't
already done that."

"No, Sintra's been busy assisting Lantis during the Vauxhall campaign." Fuu
looked at Ascot, noting the changes that had went through him. Though
older, he'd changed little in demeanor. His hair was as shaggy as always,
covering his expressive green eyes. Though he no longer favored the hats
and flowing robes of his old style and now wore something more akin to
Autozamian fashion (somewhat appropriate, since he was made the Captain of
the ARK CEPHIRO), there was no mistaking the boyish charm that he still had,
something that just didn't seem evident in his daughter. "You know, I've
said a dozen times that if you so desire, we have room for you all here."

"She...feels that her position in Lumina is an important one," he explained.
"She didn't want us to leave her, but she knew that we had to fight for the
safety of all Cephiro." Ascot gave his friend a weary smile. "Yes, I am a
bit secretive about my wife, and it's not because I don't trust you or any
of the others, Fuu. It's just...well, she values her privacy. When she
feels it is time to be known, she'll come out and tell you so."

Fuu nodded. "I can understand that. Very well, then: after the briefings
this afternoon, you and Sintra take some time and go off to Lumina. I'm
just curious how you're going to get there--Lumina's on the other side of
the world, isn't it?"

Ascot nodded. "I'll summon Fyula or Seriu to take us. Either of them will
be more than happy to help. But thank you, Fuu. I appreciate it." He rose
out of the seat, ready to take his leave of her.

"One last thing, if you would," Fuu asked as he turned towards the door.
"Does she know? Caldina, I mean."

"How could she not know? Zazu's FTO was blown apart right in front of our
eyes, and Geo didn't survive the battle, either. We were both on the bridge
at the time, directing the combat," he said, his voice sounding pained and
haunted. "Most of our FTOs that went with us were destroyed by the enemy
FTOs--what they apparently call Levins. We watched Zazu's mech get shredded
by enemy fire, Fuu. Do you have any idea what that's like?" Ascot looked
at her, anger in his eyes, though not directed at her. "We couldn't help
him, nor could Geo. Geo managed to make it back to the ARK CEPHIRO, but
he'd lost too much blood. By the time medical arrived on scene, it was too
late."

Fuu fought back her own conflicting feelings at losing those friends,
too-((How many of my friends will die when this is all over?)) She sighed;
sadly, there was something more important to be asked. "That wasn't what I
meant, Ascot. That intelligence report you sent me last night while the
ship was coming back into Cephiran airspace...."

"No. I couldn't." His voice had receded to a whisper. "She's already
worried sick about LaFarga--I couldn't do that to her. Her mind was on him
and Carina for the entire trip, and I'm amazed that she was able to do her
job out there."

"I asked you to tell her. I think you'd have been more amicable to a Royal
Request, Lord Ascot."

"Excuse me, your Highness," Ascot said, a tone of annoyance in his voice,
"but that wasn't what you were asking me to do. You were asking me to do
something that only you or the Pillar can, *not* me. I'm your friend, Fuu,
but I am *not* going to do your dirty work for you. Caldina's like a sister
to me--years before I knew any of you, she was the one I could turn to for
help. If you think that I'm going to do something like that to her, you
have got to be out of your mind." Turning away from Fuu, he walked out the
door in a huff.

"I'm sorry," she said to him as he walked out the door. As he was gone, she
looked at one of her pets, a jade-green chevelle in its cage, one that
reminded her of Windham's avian form. Walking over to the cage, she let it
out, the eagle-sized bird daintily climbing onto her arm and cooing, waiting
to be petted. Stroking its feathers almost with an absent grace, she
whispered, "I'm losing my sanity, that's for sure. I can't run this kingdom
alone." Looking out the stained glass windows of her office, she asked
rhetorically, "Oh Ferio, my love, where are you?"

Sadly, she knew she wasn't likely to get an answer from the glass, so she
put her pet away and left her offices, her royal robes transforming into the
armor of the Wind Knight. It was time to get down to a very different sort
of business, and different means called for different vestments. She only
wished that none of this senseless combat would continue. She also knew,
without hesitation, that it would get far, far worse before it got better.
That's the way it usually worked before, so why should it be any different
now?

~*~

"For the most part," Fuu said from her position at the head of the
conference table, "we all know each other, so I'm going to dispense with
protocol. We don't have time for that, and I don't want to put you to
sleep. Obviously, all of the Cephiran hierarchy knows the Pillar by name or
reputation, and you also know what she's capable of--last night's incident
should have covered that nicely," the queen groaned.

Hichan shifted in her chair, groaning from her bruises, while the look on
Hikaru's face was somewhere between satisfaction and embarrassment for the
previous night's events. Lantis looked at Hikaru with a sense of sorrow and
longing, while Ranma had a generally predatory air about him, protective
towards his wife as always.

"Well, doubtless that everyone knows why Hikaru, her husband, and their
friends are here--they're here to aid us in our time of need. Up until last
night's intelligence report, I hadn't known how bad of a situation we were
facing. However, now I do, and I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I'm not
afraid about what we're dealing with." Fuu paused, trying to find the best
way to explain it, but couldn't come up with one. Giving up, she decided to
go for the more direct route: "Here in Cephiro, you have your monsters. On
Earth, we've had ours. Now, they've come here."

The queen tapped a white crystal embedded into the lacquered wood of the
table, and it began to glow, even as the lights dimmed in the room.
"Gentlemen, this came from various intelligence forces in Hiace and
Vauxhall. Some of this also came from Geo and Zazu, at the cost of their
lives." The room fell deathly silent at that; losing friends was never
something to be comfortable about. "This is the first complete images of
what we're fighting."

The assembly watched with a critical eye at first. Eventually, two
different opinions rose amongst the groups watching. The Cephirans
initially watched with a look of surprise that soon gave way to a biting
discomfort as they realized the full brunt of what they were up against. As
for the Earth group, they knew from the first views, what they were fighting
and there were looks of disbelief complete on their faces. As the visual
feed ended, only Clef was found to have spoken amongst the Cephirans. "And
these people are from your world, Fuu. And that symbol they rally
around...the manji...isn't that a symbol of peace on your world?"

It was Michael who spoke. "No, sir. I'm afraid you have that wrong. The
manji *is* a symbol of peace on Earth--but that's *not* a manji. It looks
like a reversed one, but when it's in the configuration you see here, it is
called the swastika, and it's the symbol of the National Socialists--or more
popularly known as Nazis. I think I speak for every Earth-born in this room
when I say that if you've got Nazis running around, you've got a *serious*
problem on your hands." With that, Michael began to give an abridged
version of the history of Nazism on Earth, from the first echoes of the
Second World War, up until the problems of this week before he'd left for
Japan. By the time he was finished with the basics, he'd gone into
specialty. "In fact, based on what little markings we've seen, I might be
able to give you more data on what we're facing, but not until I see better
data."

"I don't understand," Hichan said, shivering from the very butchery that
Michael had described so analytically. "If they're all a bunch of killers
and monsters, why do you want to know *more* about them? Why just not kill
them all and burn what's left?"

"Because sometimes you have to know how to kill something before you can,"
he retorted. "Trust me, I deal with idiots like them on a regular basis,
and they're like roaches--you can't kill them easily. Additionally, you
don't think they just pop up here on a regular basis, do you? However they
got in, is what we have to shut down as well, or you could find yourself
having to deal with the Fourth Reich moving in. And I can assure you that
they don't make for very pleasant neighbors." As an aside, he said to Fuu,
"I hate to be rude, your highness, but if this is the best your intelligence
apparatus can come up with, they need some serious work."

Presea was livid. "Excuse me, but who are you to be telling me how to run
my intelligence units?"

"Assets. Intelligence *assets*. Units are for the military," Michael
corrected. "And well, as for who I am, I think this should say it all.
Reaching into his pocket, he tossed his wallet to Fuu, who caught it deftly
and read the identification visible in the inner pocket window.

She looked at him. "Is this for real?"

"Yes, ma'am," he grinned. "Operative Michael W. Tseng, Directorate of
Operations, United States Central Intelligence Agency, at your service.
Field work is my specialty." Bowing with an amused flourish, he looked to
all of his friends and said, "Sorry for lying about what I do for a living,
but under the initial circumstances, I'd hope that you didn't expect me to
be able to tell you the truth, right?"

"Of course not," Nabiki muttered to her husband. "Great. Just great.
Nazis on one side, the CIA on another, magical forces on a third, and the
rest of us in between. Why do I feel like I just stepped into a bad 50's
B-film?"

"Oh, Michael," Shiki whispered, her voice thick as molasses, "why didn't you
tell me? Does our relationship mean so little that you couldn't tell your
love your greatest secret?" Just as quick, she shrugged it off with a, "Oh
well. Should make for an interesting time, ne?"

Ignoring Nabiki and Shiki's comments, he stated, "One of the things that
I've done over the years for the Company is Nazi hunting in South America.
Some of them have built up some serious armies, too--let me tell you, they
weren't easy to dispose of, especially the ones involved in the drug trade.
And I've picked up a bit of information, too. One of those tidbits is a
legend about a magic-based division that never saw combat. Hitler, who was
obsessed with the occult, gathered enough people knowledgeable in the ways
of magic to form an army division. With the help of his axis allies, his
goal was to use the division, code named Vanden Plaz, to go back in time and
destroy the Alliance's major members: Britain, Russia and the US.

"He gathered his forces in a Belgian valley known as the Portal of Ages.
The reasons for that, I don't know, but with a name like that, it could mean
anything." He shrugged. "Now, depending on what you believe, this next
part gets a bit strange. The Nazis believe that the Vanden Plaz was whisked
away to a place of safety, until the day when they could fight again. On
the other hand, according to a report by a bunch of gypsies who were on the
scene, the Vanden Plaz was destroyed by the Queen of the Fey for trying to
break into her realm."

"The who?" several people asked, while Minica said in a teary voice, "We
don't have a queen. We had a mayor and she was my mother."

"The Queen of the Fairies," the CIA operative explained, feeling rather
small about the half-fairy's outburst. "It's a Western legend--French, to
be precise--that the Fey Queen protects the magical realms from invasion by
the real world." Pausing for a second, he then added, "The name of the
Queen of the Fey, by the by, is Emeraude, though I doubt you care to want to
know that much about old French myths." His words were met with silence,
and he arched a brow in surprise. "Did I hit a sore note?"

"Emeraude was my aunt," Marino explained, "my father's older sister, and the
prior Pillar until she was...succeeded...by the Knight Commander. She's
dead now, needless to say." Marino looked at the current Pillar and said,
"She'll have to brief you on that if you care for further details regarding
the, er, succession. I wasn't born at the time."

"Of course!" Clef exclaimed, rising to his feet. "It makes sense now!"
While others were staring at him, he explained. "Years and years ago, long
before the Knights ever came to Cephiro, and while she was still the Pillar,
Emeraude had sensed that something was wrong, near Lake Eteruna. She went
alone to deal with it, feeling that it was something that she alone could
deal with; when she returned, she never told the rest of us what had
occurred, other than 'it will be a while before they trouble us again.' If
she ran into your Vanden Plaz back then, she could have placed them into
Eteruna for a number of years. And they could have broken out somehow after
she died, and we merely didn't notice until now." Clef's brows creased in
thought at the very impossibility regarding that. "But I fail to see how we
could not have noticed such a group returning."

"I don't think it matters so much that, as it does that they're here, and
we're going to have to do something about them," Sintra pointed out. "But
what concerns me is that they seem to have a lot of Autozamian technology.
How did they get their hands on it?"

"Simple," Ascot answered. "They started off on Autozam, and plundered
whatever technology was there. Autozam is habitable for relatively
short-term periods, if an army is well stocked. From there, it was a simple
matter to take whatever was left. Additionally, we were involved in a
massive battle above the dead world, and it appears that this Vanden Plaz
now have complete control of Autozam."

"But what about Fahren and Chizetam? What about those worlds?" Alero
spoke, his voice carrying a gravity of concern. "We can't abandon them to
their fate! We must help, if they need it!"

Hikaru stood, intending to put in her two yen on the matter. "Look, I don't
know if I have the right to speak out on this, but since I'm the Pillar, I
guess my words carry some weight. There's no doubt that we have a crisis on
our hands. But as Michael said, we need to know more about the problem
before we can do something about it. We know they're crawling all over the
Cephiran countryside. We know that they control the remains of Autozam. We
don't know the status of Chizetam or Fahren." Seeing Ascot and Fuu blanche
as one, Hikaru insinuated, "Or do we?"

"We'll discuss that later, Hikaru," Fuu answered, while Ascot kept to his
uncomfortable silence.

Hikaru's only answer to that was an arched eyebrow, the type that would have
done Nabiki proud. Instead, she offered, "I propose a battleplan: I want
the Knights, Ranma, and Michael to head out on a reconnaissance mission to
see what we can find out about them. Satoru-nisama, Nabiki-nesama and
Tatewaki, I'd like you three to come up with some sort of long-term
containment strategy."

"Is this the part where I point out we're not generals, Hikaru?" Nabiki
noted.

"I know that, but I also know that you're one of the smartest people I know,
and Satoru and Tatewaki do know military tactics. Additionally, we'll be
leaving Ryoga and Ukyo behind with you to plan combat. I have the utmost
faith in them, since they're almost as good as Ranma--no offense, you two."

"None taken, sugar," Ukyo piped, while Ryoga merely nodded. However, Ukyo's
eyes drew towards Ranma, and there was an unusual look in them, as though
something had just gone wrong in her world.

Presea took this time to point out a tiny bit of a plan: "Um, Hikaru, as the
General of the Cephiran military, would you mind me pointing out that this
is my job that you're stepping all over?"

"I understand that, Presea, which is why I've only directed my friends and
the Knights, which is also my prerogative. I ask that both the military and
the Guard try to work with us as much as possible." Looking directly at the
General, she also added, "The other thing I'd like for you to do, Presea, is
to find out what hidden potential lies within the Earth group. Something's
changed in them, and they've become more powerful. Even Kuu, who has no
combatant skills to speak of, has manifested Wind Magic, and I'm wondering
if Satoru-nisama is capable of using Fire Magic."

At the mention of this, murmurs and comments began to buzz about the room.
Alero spoke for everyone. "Your Holiness, is it true that you've modified
your Apostles to aid in your combat here in our realm?"

"First of all, Alero, please drop the 'Your Holiness' and 'Holy Apostles'
references, please? I'm not really comfortable with it, and I'm sure the
others aren't, either. Secondly, I did nothing to them--I would never do
that to my friends. Something happened to them as they crossed the
dimensional barriers. In the case of the ki-throwers, I think that the fact
that their willpower is manifested stronger here may have something to do
with it. In the case of Kuu and Satoru, their magic abilities may just have
been latent until they arrived; since they have the same genes as myself and
Fuu, and bearing in mind the genes of the Water Squire, that may explain
Kuu's and my brother's potential. Regardless, if you can help them to fine
tune their skills, I would appreciate it."

"I will see what I can do, Hikaru," Clef answered. "It should prove
interesting to have Fire and Wind Squires as well as our own Water Squire."
Hikaru nodded her thanks to the Guru.

"As the Second in Command of the Guard," Lantis answered, "you have my full
support, Hikaru-chan. If they need training, Sintra and I will be more than
happy to help."

Hikaru's eyes narrowed as she said heatedly, "And you have no idea how glad
I am to hear that." Putting aside her vitriol, she looked at everyone in
kind and said, "I know that this all sounds a bit odd, especially to the
Earth group. But right now, I think it best that we play it off the cuff.
I know I prefer to operate that way, as do quite a few of you."

"One question," Caldina asked. "Fuu, I don't mean to take away from your
standing as the Wind Knight, but do you think it's safe for you to be going
out? You're the queen, and to leave the country effectively without a head
of state in the castle...I don't like that idea."

"I don't need to worry; I'll have you here, Caldina." Fuu looked at the
illusionist nervously before sighing. "I wasn't sure how to bring this up,
but as of now, you're relieved of your duties to the Cephiran crown...you,
your husband, and Carina." Turning to Lantis, she said, "I know this is
unusual, Lantis, but as of now, you are Head of the Cephiran Guard; Sintra
will take the position of Second in Command."

Caldina, needless to say, was stunned. "Fuu, what the hell? Why are you
doing this? What have we done wrong? LaFarga, myself, my daughter, we've
always fought for the Cephiran crown with honor!" she shrieked, practically
leaping out of her seat and looking at Fuu with total confusion. "After all
we've suffered, you're stripping us of our rank and duties? What is going
on?"

Tears began to well in Fuu's eyes. "Please, Caldina, don't think I'm doing
this out of spite. But I can't allow your or Sintra to be exposed to danger
anymore. As the Queen of Cephiro, I cannot allow a peer to be
harmed...Sultana of Chizetam."

"Aunt Fuu, it's not like my mother, my father or I haven't gone into battle
before. We're well aware of the dange--*what did you just say*?!?!?!??!"
Carina stopped in mid-tirade, catching the Wind Knight's words. She
immediately turned to her mother, who was beginning to grow pale, her dark
skin growing cold with the weight of Fuu's words.

"We received information that we got while the ARK CEPHIRO was searching for
signs of the others on Chizetam and Fahren." Fuu held up a small stack of
papers that had been sitting in front of her for the longest time. "As of
now, you are functionally the head of state of Chizetam, Caldina. Later on,
with the Pillar's blessing, we'll officially make you the Sultana."

"B-b-b-b-b-b-b-but...that's impossible! What about my aunt and uncle?" the
Illusionist whispered. "Even my cousins, Tatra and Tarta...do you realize
how far down the line of succession I am?"

"Eighteenth from the crown, right after your father and older brothers." It
was Ascot's turn to look helpless. "The information was brought to me while
you were asleep, Caldina. I...I couldn't tell you. You've got enough
worries, and to add to them...I couldn't do that to you, Caldina. I just
couldn't."

Caldina looked at the man who was very much like a little brother to her.
"But what about my family? My brothers? My father? My mother and
sisters?"

"From the images we got back," Ascot said, his voice barely audible, "the
entire capital has been destroyed."

"My entire family...." Her hands pounded the table, and Carina ran to her
mother's side as the Illusionist dropped back into her seat, her body
seeming not entirely under her control. "How could you not tell me? *MY
ENTIRE FAMILY HAS BEEN WIPED OUT, AND YOU COULDN'T TELL ME?!?!?!??!?!?!!?*"
She stood up from her seat and walked towards the doors, shaking with myriad
emotions. "If you'll excuse me, I don't think my daughter and I have much
more to contribute to this war council." With that, the newly-informed
ruler of Chizetam walked out, towards her rooms in the castle...her home in
exile, now.

Carina looked at Fuu, then Marino. "Aunt Fuu, please reconsider. Mom's
already worried about our situation, and now this...Mom's never wanted to be
a princess, and I can't imagine how she feels right now. We can't rest
until our ordeal is over." Following her mother, the swordswoman left the
chamber as well, taking time only to turn around and say, "From what you
just implied, I'm now the Crown Princess of Chizetam. But I'd rather that
my life was normal, instead."

>From where she sat, on her older sister's shoulder, Minica's heart went out
to the two women on the other side of the table. She'd lost so much, but
didn't have the disadvantage of having something as heavy as the crown of
another world dropped on her. Speaking to no one in general, she murmured
ironically, "That seemed to have gone well...."

Hikaru sighed and whispered to herself, "Great. Another mess I have to
fix." Facing the assembly, Hikaru said, "Caldina, Fuu, I think the three of
this should talk about this in private. In fact, I think we'll want to
recall Ferio and LaFarga from their positions to deal with this as well--as
potentates of the worlds involved, we should have their...." The redhead
saw the stunned look on the faces in front of her, a total visage of stares
from the Cephiran entourage. "What's wrong?"

An inhuman growl sounded from Hichan. From her place at the table, she
leapt up and launched herself at Hikaru, snarling, *"YOU BITCH!!!! HOW CAN
YOU JOKE LIKE THAT?!??!??!?"* In one smooth motion, Hichan whipped her
saber out of her gauntlet, intending to use it against the side of Hikaru's
neck. However, Hikaru was faster at defending herself and lashed out with a
rapid snap kick, which slammed Hichan viciously against the table, almost
making it collapse under the force of the blow.

"Knock it off, kid, or I won't pull my punches anymore," Hikaru warned her
namesake as she dropped into an offensive position. While she wasn't going
to make the matter worse by pulling out her own sword, she wasn't going to
give the so-called Water Squire a chance for a second strike.

Wiping a rivulet of blood from her mouth, Hichan said, "I don't give a damn
who you are, you bimbo! My mother and the others are prisoners of these
Nazis or whatever you call them, and all you can do is make light of the
situation? Some 'merciful goddess' you are!"

"Umi, Ferio and LaFarga, captured?" Hikaru parroted, unable to believe it.

"It's not Hikaru's fault, Hichan! I hadn't told her yet!" Fuu exclaimed.
"Now, can you two please calm down?" Both Hikarus looked to Fuu, and she
explained. "I didn't know how to tell you this, Hikaru. The reason Ferio,
Umi, and LaFarga haven't been around is because they were captured three
months ago when the hostilities started on this world." Fuu blinked away
tears; now was not the time to be the teary wife, for she was queen and Wind
Knight and had to be a column of strength for the land. "We've gotten back
several of the bodies of those who went with them, but we still hope that
the others are still alive." Fuu looked at Presea, and saw that the
General/Weaponsmaster, like her, was fighting back tears. She'd loved
Cabrio, and paid for that love with pain as he'd been killed.

The Knight Commander looked at Fuu. "Why...why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't want to open old wounds, Hikaru. We were working on our
own rescue plan before you arrived. We just don't have enough information
to pull it off."

"No, Fuu, that's not right. Regardless of how I feel about Umi--and the
jury's still out to lunch on that one--they shouldn't have to suffer one
more minute just because of me," Hikaru commented, her words as strong as
the very bones of the earth. "We're mounting a rescue expedition, and we're
doing it *now*."

"Excuse me, O High and Mighty Pillar," Hichan said, her voice venomous, "why
can't you just use your vaunted Pillar powers to whisk them out of there?
Or are you too vapid to pull that off?"

"Do you know what it's like to be the Pillar, Ryuuzaki? Do you know what
it's like to have the world so tied into your own self, that the slightest
error could destroy some innocent person? Do you know how it feels to be
able to blink and set off a volcano?"

"No, I can't say I have," Hichan admitted.

"Okay, then shut the hell up and leave me the hell alone about that. The
fact is, I can't really use my Pillar abilities on a mass scale. That power
can go wrong really quickly, unless I'm precise about using it, and I'm too
human to be precise. I will not use the magic of the Pillar to fight this
war...but that doesn't mean that I'm abandoning them. I still have my
powers as the Fire Knight Commander, and I damn well intend to use those!"

Fuu breathed a sigh of relief; deep down, she knew Hikaru would never give
up on her friends. "Good. So, do you have an idea?"

"Of course. I'm going to let an expert handle this." She spun around on
one foot to face another person, the one person she knew had more than
enough experience at that sort of situation: "Anata, think you're up to this
one?"

Ranma grinned. "Was wondering when my specialty would come in handy."

Fuu looked at Hikaru's husband. "Your specialty?"

Ranma shrugged. "Okay, one of them. I tend to have a knack for putting
together rescues from some of the strangest situations. And I *never*
lose." Behind him, Nabiki, Ukyo, Ryoga, and Tatewaki all nodded as one,
completely confirming Ranma's words. "If we pull it off right, we can get
the info that Michael needs, rescue the captured people, and give those
Nazis a pretty mean slap in the face."

Hichan's eyes positively lit up at those words; if Ranma hadn't been married
at that point, she would have taken care of that in an instant. "Oh, Ranma
my darling, you would risk your life and limb to save my mother and the
others? Such charity and bravery deserves a kiss!" From her position on
the table she leapt towards the martial artist...

...only to find him pulled out of the way by Hikaru, who obligingly grabbed
her and slammed her up against the wall. "*Don't.* Do. That. Again."
Seeing that Lantis gave Ranma a dark grimace, she turned to Lantis and said,
"And *you* don't try anything either, you understand?"

Fuu counted to ten and tried to keep her resolve. ((Why is this whole thing
descending into madness? If the enemy finds out about this....))

~*~

"Well, this is certainly interesting news," Daimler said, as one of his
spies came in with some information from their head agent. He was seated in
his personal chambers in the newly restored Piazza Nero, once the city hall
of Hiace, and seated with him were several of his lieutenants.

"Yes, sir. It seems that the Pillar is more human than we took into
account. From the account given to us by our head agent, it seems that all
she can do is start arguments with her own forces and rely on her husband to
do her thinking for her." The spy, named Aztek, stood in front of Daimler,
wearing the clothing of a senior Cephiran officer. He was but only one of
the spies in the palace, and certainly not the spymaster in charge over
there. However, he was one of the best, and it was a testament to his
skills that he'd been able to get the information to the Vanden Plaz so
quickly after the end of the conference.

Daimler laughed, a short, sinister bark. "Does she really believe that she
can just come here and spy on us without being caught? The very audacity of
that woman--next thing you know, she'll be attempting a rescue attempt for
Ferio and the others." He turned to face the spy. "This is excellent work,
Aztek. You are to be commended, and when we retake Earth, you and your
Italian contingent will be rewarded generously."

"I live but to serve the Axis," the spy answered. "However, that isn't all.
We had some of our agents go through some of the rooms occupied by the
others who came here from Earth as well. We found something vital in one of
the women's rooms, something that may be of use to us." Aztek handed
Daimler a small stack of photographs. "It seems that the Pillar and her
husband have a family, three children. If Citroen went to that world to try
and assassinate the Pillar, perhaps we can send a team to capture her
children. We can use them as leverage against her."

"Very good idea, and I will be sure that you're well rewarded for your
efforts. You're dismissed; you'll have to get back to your post at the
palace before they notice you're gone, anyway." As the spy left, Daimler
looked at Berlina. "Berlina, I want you to assign a team to that option.
Coordinate with Dacia and assemble a team. I want one of your fellow
Japanese to accompany them--preferably the most adaptable of your crew.
Additionally, see how much assistance Barina will need to transport everyone
back to Earth. Citroen was able to do it because she was transporting only
herself; Barina will be transporting about a squad of five people, and at
least three more on return."

Berlina stood and saluted. "Understood. I'll assign Kukogawa to this
task--she's very adaptable and will be able to do the job easily."

"Kooko...what did you say her name was again?"

"Kukogawa Aikawa. Your men refer to her as Estima."

"Ah, now I see: she's a dangerous woman, is she not? Good. See to it that
it gets done." Daimler next faced two of his own. "Trabant, Jetta, I am
assigning you the task of setting up the ambush on the Pillar's assault
group. I want every one of them slaughtered, save for the Pillar herself.
I want her captured, and bound with every magic-dampening item we have. I
want her completely helpless...so we can execute her, Ferio, LaFarga and
Umi, with every one in Cephiro watching. As soon as we obtain the
information, I will ensure that it will be passed on to you."

~*~

"Fuu, can I have a word with you?"

"Sure, um, Nabiki, isn't it?" the queen asked. She was in the armory,
loading up on arrows. She'd decided that she was going to be as prepared as
possible if things got hairy while they were on the road to Hiace.

"Yes. Look, I can understand the need to have 'relics' of the 'Holy
Apostles' and such, as well as the Pillar and her husband, but I would
appreciate it if the maids didn't go through my purse. I had a picture of
Ranma, Hikaru and the kids, as well as other pictures, and they're gone
now." Nabiki groaned and muttered, "I *knew* I should have left my purse at
home."

"I'll talk to the chamberlain about it. You're not the only one who's come
to complain to me in the past hour or so. I had Ranma's friend--Ukyo, I
think her name is--complain about something similar, and someone went
through my sister's pack as well. It's probably just hero worship, but that
still doesn't excuse the theft." Fuu tested the tension on her bow; perfect
as always.

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

"The pleasure's mine--you came here to help my homeland; it's the least I
can do." She turned back to Nabiki and said, "I don't mean to be insulting,
but Hikaru has a lot of faith in Ranma's skills. I wonder if they're
misplaced--I don't doubt that he's good if she says so, but even I tend to
overstate my husband's talents at times."

Nabiki grinned earnestly. "Then you don't know my little brother. I can't
say how powerful any of your people are, nor do I know all of Hikaru's
powers as the Pillar, but I can tell you this: from what I've seen of
Hikaru's pyromancy, and what I know my brother can do, he's more powerful
than she is in that aspect. Don't look shocked; he was carving the tops off
of mountains back on Earth when he was seventeen. Ranma's a very dangerous
opponent, and a better ally. But he's at his most powerful when he's
fighting for what he believes in and for those he loves. Hikaru has faith
in him because she knows his talents, and so do I."

Fuu looked at Nabiki with mild disbelief. "He's *that* powerful? Maybe I
should ask you to come with us as well, Nabiki."

"I'm not that powerful. Yet," she laughed. "But as for coming along, I'm
one step ahead of you, your highness. Hikaru and Ranma already asked me to
come. They figure that with Ryoga, Ukyo, and my husband here, that's enough
power in reserve, and I agreed. Besides, I didn't want to slight your
general on warfare planning; I don't want to step on anyone's toes.
Besides, although I'm not as good as my little brother, I'm still good in a
fight, and if he's asking me to come and back him up, there's no way I'm
gonna say no."

"Your group must be some of the world's best martial artists, then," Fuu
commented.

"Absolutely. Not bad for a bunch that was constantly at each other's
throats a decade back," Nabiki replied. Seeing the look on Fuu's face she
clarified, "Think of it this way: as bad as we were to each other, I can
guarantee that we've been much worse to outside problems. And now that we
all get along internally, you can imagine how little mercy we show to anyone
stupid enough to pick on one of us."

~*~

In an almost completely darkened room barely large enough for her to fit
into, Umi sat. She hadn't been fed or attended to in the past few days. Of
course, the benefit of that was that she hadn't been touched in the past few
days. Which was a good thing--she was at her limit and every bone in her
body ached, and she bled from a dozen places.

An insect of some kind skittered across her lower part of her body; she
ignored it. She had sadly grown used to them during her imprisonment, and
at least the roaches and the like weren't likely to violate her body, unlike
the two-legged ones that were basically using her as entertainment.

She blinked away a tear, staring into the room that was barely lit, and that
only because of the energy that her magic was dumping into her restraints.
The spells on them already had to be replaced twice, as her power was too
much of a strain on them, and they couldn't afford to have a regular
sorcerer assigned to watch her. Apparently, that was their weakness--they
were lacking in Gurus, just as the Cephiran side was.

One thing that she noticed, and wasn't sure why: her power, a couple of days
ago, almost doubled in strength. During the months of her captivity, her
power had been on a steady decline. And just a couple of days ago, it had
gone back up, almost to the level that it was at prior to her capture.

Such an occurrence could mean only one thing, though it wasn't possible.
She wouldn't return. Umi wouldn't expect her to return, especially not to
rescue her. After what Umi did to her, the Water Knight wasn't sure she
would ever be that lucky. But if there was one thing about Shidou Hikaru,
it was that she was capable of extreme kindness, even to her worst enemies.
And that in itself brought hope.

((Hikaru, if you're still my friend, I need you more than ever,)) Umi called
out in her mind, hoping that the Pillar would hear. ((Please forgive me,
Hikaru. All I want now is my child and happiness for us all.))

The semi-dark silence of the confinement cell was her only answer, and
possibly her only one. But there was hope now, and maybe--just maybe--the
chance that Hikaru was coming, and that Umi would be reunited with her own
child. A thought came into Umi's mind: maybe, if Hikaru had already met
Hichan, that would be a clue how much Umi still loved her estranged friend.
Maybe the two were even getting along as wonderfully as she and Umi had,
prior to their schism.

((Anything's possible, isn't it?))

~*~

"Ranchan, promise me that you'll come back safely," Ukyo said. "You and
Hikaru and Nabiki and the rest."

Ranma and Ukyo were leaning on a ledge over the training grounds, watching
as Kuu and Satoru were being given the first in their training in the ways
of magic, courtesy of Clef. Hikaru was off doing some Pillar-related
business with Fuu; and Nabiki and Tatewaki were...well, Ranma did understand
that those two needed some personal time alone. Down on the field, Michael
and Shiki, with some assistance from Ryoga, were going over some extra
martial artist techniques. ((Ryoga's right: it's time that he started
teaching. He's certainly good enough at it, and he's calmed down enough to
be a patient teacher. Maybe when we get back, I'll have to have Nabiki and
Hikaru talk to Akari about supporting Ryoga in opening a dojo on their farm.
Maybe his school'll get as famous as mine.))

"Did you hear a word I said?" Ukyo said, her voice concerned.

"Absolutely, Ucchan. Crystal clear. And you're worrying too much." Ranma
smiled in an attempt to ward off Ukyo's black mood. "I always make it
through okay, don't I? Relax, will ya? If I can beat the likes of Saffron,
I can certainly kick Nazi butt, ne?"

"I've just got a bad feeling about this time, Ranma--Iike I'm never going to
see you again." The look in Ukyo's brown eyes were serious, solemn. She
actually believed what she was saying, and there was something seriously
wrong with that. " I don't want to lose you, Ranchan--I've already lost you
to Akane and Hikaru, and I don't want to lose you for good!"

"Ucchan, I...." Ranma was lost for words. He'd never seen her this way
before. Sure, she was depressed when he married Akane, and was in a similar
way when he'd married Hikaru, but this went beyond the pale. "Ucchan, we've
been friends all our lives--just because I've married different people,
doesn't mean you've lost me." His eyes met her, and they held all the
warmth and love for his best friend that they could. "Ukyo, what can I do
to ensure you that I'll make it through okay?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "Somehow, this is different than all the
other times. I'm afraid, Ranchan! Doesn't that mean anything to you?" She
glomped him, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I love you, Ranma. I don't
want to lose you! I just have a bad feeling, one I've never had before, and
I don't like it."

He held her tightly, something that he'd been afraid to in the past; but
that was a different, less mature Saotome Ranma than he was now, and the
situation for him had changed quite a bit. "Ukyo, I'll be fine. Believe in
me, okay?"

She looked up at him, as though she was trying to burn his features into her
memory, forever. And when that was done, she kissed him with all the love
that she'd ever had for him, from the day that she'd first met him, up until
that point, and there was not a single other woman--not Kodachi, not
Shampoo, not Kaori, not even Akane or Hikaru--that would ever take away the
love that she knew that he had for her. She wasn't his wife, she would
never be destined for that. But she knew that he loved her in his own way,
and that was something that she'd learned to cherish. And that was what she
was fearing she would never have again.

For his part, Ranma didn't know what to say. He hadn't expected this kiss;
fortunately, all of his friends knew him well enough now that he could
explain weird situations like this. ((I hope,)) he thought, as the flash of
the previous night's nightmare briefly popped up in his mind.

*"HEY, TAKE IT TO A HOTEL, YOU TWO!!!!!"*

Ranma's face blanched at those words, while Ukyo, realizing what she'd just
done, blushed a deep crimson. The pair, still entwined in each other's
arms, looked down at the training field to see everyone looking back up at
them. Ranma's eyes grew as big as that of an animated character, his mind
in total sickened shock, while an embarrassed Ukyo stammered, "Sorry,
Ranchan. It, um, just sort of happened."

Ranma looked at her. "Hikaru's going to kill us when she finds out. If
Satoru doesn't, first."

"I'll be sure to hide the mallets," an equally mortified Ukyo agreed.
"Maybe I should hide the whole armory."

~*~

"What the hell does Ranma think he's doing?" Satoru snarled, more out of
bemusement than anger. So far. Ryoga had been the first to notice what had
happened, and made his shout; that, in turn, caught the attention of
everyone;

"It's okay, Satoru," Ryoga explained. "Ukyo did that, not Ranma.
Something's bothering her; she's not usually like that." The lost man gave
everyone a quick explanation on the life of Ranma and Ukyo, hoping that it
wouldn't make it worse. "I have no doubt that Ranma didn't enjoy that--to
him, it would probably be like kissing Nabiki or Kasumi, something he just
wouldn't do."

"Okay, if you put it in that light, I understand," Satoru admitted. "I've
never thought of him as a philanderer, anyway."

"Trust me: there is probably no man more faithful to his loved one than
Ranma. Even if he was the cheating type, which he's not, Akane pretty much
beat it out of him," Ryoga quipped with a fond gleam in his eye.
"Basically, I shouted that just to mess with their heads."

"Why do that, if they're in a vulnerable situation, Ryoga?" Clef asked.
"Wouldn't it have been more appropriate to leave them to figure it out for
themselves?"

"Simple: they're my best friends. I *have* to mess with them. It's in the
rulebook," he stated authoritatively. "But I think I'd better go up there
and help. Something's wrong with Ukyo, and I think I should help. If
you'll excuse me." With that, Ryoga headed off towards the left.

"Um, Ryoga, the exit's that way?" Shiki pointed in the opposite direction,
as a bead of perspiration graced her brow. They'd all been told of his
famed lack of direction, but to see it in action was something else,
entirely.

The lost man laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. "I, um,
knew that. Really. I did." Beating a hasty retreat, he called up to them
shouting, "We gotta talk, you two! Meet me in the central atrium!" It was
a big enough place for Ryoga to find, and relatively easy for them to go.

As Ranma and Ukyo left to join Ryoga, Satoru watched them leave. "It must
be very interesting for him, having two friends like that."

((You don't know the half of it, Satoru,)) Michael mused, though he said
aloud, "Personally, I envy the guy."

"How so?" Kuu asked.

"Think about it: he has friends like that, the type where he and they can
tell each other anything. He also has that same relationship with his
sisters, from what I see of him and Nabiki. And, he apparently can do the
same with his wife. A lot of people would kill to have relationships that
close."

Shiki slid her arm around Michael's. "Well, you have me, Michael-kun, ne?"
He wasn't sure how to answer that, and at his awkward silence, Kuu and
Satoru exchanged knowing glances, then chuckled.

~*~

>From nearby, Lantis had watched the whole situation with Ranma and Ukyo,
without the benefit of Ryoga's explanation. ((So, he's two-timing her, and
with one of her friends, too. I don't care if you are her husband, Ranma;
you've proven to me just now that you don't deserve her. And I intend to
make sure that she doesn't have to put up with you.)) Turning around,
Lantis went off towards his chambers. There was much to be planned.

At another area, Hichan observed the same thing. ((So, apparently their
marriage isn't as strong as the bimbo says it is. I have a chance, then.))
She watched as Ranma and Ukyo left, obviously off to some tryst somewhere.
((A strong man like that needs a capable woman, and apparently the Pillar
can't keep him. I think I'm just the girl he needs, then.))

~*~

"I don't want the crown, dammit!" Caldina said. "I'm a dancer and an
illusionist! I'm not cut out for this sultana crap!" She, Carina, Fuu, and
Hikaru were in the neo-Sultana's private chambers in the palace. They'd
come to talk some sense into her, and so far, it wasn't succeeding.

"And you think I was cut out to be a goddess? Or Fuu, the queen of Cephiro?
Get off your high horse, Caldina!" Hikaru seethed, at the limits of her
patience. "I didn't come in here to hear you bitch, whine, and moan about a
promotion! You've always gone the distance for Cephiro's people, so why not
your own?"

"I was not destined to rule, Hikaru! That was something for Tatra or Tarta,
not for me!"

*"AND YOU THINK I GOT A GODDAMN INSTRUCTION MANUAL WITH THE POWER OF THE
PILLAR? WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT A CUISINART, CALDINA!!!!!"* Hikaru for a
second really began to wonder why the hell she'd bothered even coming back
to Cephiro--the enemy didn't have to worry about the destroying the
Cephirans, as they were doing a good enough job of it themselves! Still,
Hikaru was committed to helping out her friends, so she had to put aside her
temper and go into explanation mode. "Look, Caldina, I know how hard it is
to lose your family. My parents died when I was ten, but I can still
remember what it felt like. All I wanted was revenge against what had been
done to me, for what I lost. You have a few advantages that I didn't. You
have an adult daughter who looks up to you for guidance and support--you may
be the Sultana now, but she's the Crown Princess, and in some ways, that's
even more pressure than you've got. Secondly, you have a world of people
who are depending on your leadership now, and that's something that you
can't turn away from...I tried to turn away from the mantle of the Pillar
and I couldn't do it, so how can you walk away from the Chizetamian crown?
And lastly, unlike me, you have a target for your revenge, should you want
it--though I think better of you than to watch you go for useless revenge.
My parents were killed by an avalanche in Kyushu, while your family was
killed by the same monsters that we're fighting."

Caldina looked at Hikaru, then to her own daughter. "Carina, what do you
think?"

"Mom, I want to become a Princess even less than you want to become Sultana.
If there were a way for me and Marino to have a life together without me
being the Princess, I would do it. But I'm stuck one way or the other: I'm
going to end up as the Crown Princess of a world, regardless. So, with that
in mind," she said, trying to brave a smile for her mother's sake, "when
Hikaru saves Dad, can you two please come up with a little brother to be
Crown Prince? I've got enough headaches."

Caldina gave her daughter a grave look, then said, "You know, you have your
father's lack of humor," before embracing the swordswoman in a maternal hug.
"I'll do it, then. I don't want to, but I suppose that a ruler has no other
choice, does she?"

"No, sometimes you don't," Fuu agreed. "But I'll be more than happy to give
you whatever advice you need, Caldina."

"Thanks, Fuu. You're a lifesaver." The sultana then looked at Hikaru and
said, "You have changed, Hikaru, a lot. The last time you were here, you
would have told me to go with my heart, and I would have refused this.
Also, I don't recall you being as...fervent...about things before."

"I know. That was before I learned that sometimes it's not for the best to
go with your heart, because you'll only end up with shattered pieces. And I
learned that sometimes that rule isn't even true. If it wasn't for my
husband, I don't think I would have learned anything more than self-pity and
hatred. I also picked up a bit of his ego along the way as well, I think."
Hikaru looked at her friend and said, "Chitzetam will be in good hands,
Sultana Caldina. And I promise that I'll officially crown you when I get
the chance. But for now, I have a promise to keep, and a duty to fulfill.
Let's get going, Fuu. We've got some friends to bail out."

~*~

Ukyo sat over her cup of tea, holding it as though it were a lifeline for
her. "I don't know how to explain it, guys. Maybe it's just an irrational
fear, but it's not one I can get over easily. I woke up this morning
feeling it, and it's not going away. In fact, it only intensified after the
meeting." She looked at Ranma, refusing to take her eyes off him. "But
I've never had a feeling like it, and it made me do something stupid. Sorry
again, Ranchan."

Ryoga gave his friend a smile. "Well, no damage was done, and I explained
it to everyone--"

"Great. You 'explained' it to everyone. We're doomed," Ranma joked, trying
to lighten the situation.

"Damn straight you are," Ryoga added, joining in. "Seriously, Ukyo, You
know as well as I do that he'll be fine. We've all survived worse than
this. Besides, remember how badly we trashed their asses at the beach?
C'mon, Ukyo, we're a lot more powerful now. Even you are! D'ya really
think that we're gonna get creamed so easily?" He looked back to Ranma.
"Seriously, though, pal. You watch your back. Yours, Hikaru's, and
Nabiki's, especially."

Ranma shrugged. "We'll be fine, you two. Don't worry, okay? Ucchan, I
promise that I'll be fine."

"I want to go with you guys, just to make sure!" she put in, nearly dropping
her tea in her excitement. "If I'm there, I'll be able to make sure that
you're okay!"

"Ukyo, we've got too many people coming already--we'll lose our hiding
advantage if it increases. Besides, I need you to stay here and train with
Ryoga. You've just learned ki, and you'll want to develop it to its fullest
potential, and since I'm not gonna be here, he's the best at it. I don't
want you out there unless you can defend yourself to the utmost. With your
spatula broken, you're going to be going hand-to-hand until it's fixed."

"Then why is Nabiki going? She's not much better than me in ki!"

"*You* try and tell my sister she's not going," Ranma noted.

"Point," Ukyo conceded. "Okay, I'll stay and train with Ryoga, on one
condition: that you and the rest make it back okay. I don't ever want to
lose you, Saotome Ranma."

"You won't, Ukyo. You never have, and you never will." The voice belonged
to Hikaru as she walked into the room. "I heard what happened, Ukyo."

The okonomiyaki chef blushed. "You don't know how embarrassed I am about
that, Hikaru."

Hikaru smiled. "It's okay; I know you better than that, Ukyo. But I don't
want you to worry." Something flashed in Hikaru's hand, and when the glow
went away, an amethyst pendant sat in her palm. "Ukyo, take this. If
something happens to Ranma or one of us, you'll know, because the gem with
begin to glow."

Ukyo took it readily and put it around her neck. "This'll be perfect,
sugar. Now I'll know you're safe, all of you."

"Good; then you can see us off. We're leaving in an hour." Hikaru went to
stand beside her husband, and wrapped her arms around him. "I'll take good
care of him, Ukyo, just watch."

~*~

The spymaster, in his private chambers, smiled. ((What fools! The Pillar
and her knights have given us their travel plans, and now we have a way to
deal with them.)) Looking at a map, he found the ideal location. ((Catera
Ridge. Perfect. Just the ideal location to hit them, and they won't be
expecting it. Furthermore, since it borders the Forest of Silence, there is
nowhere that they can run to without risking their lives. Any chance they
have of victory will be forfeit under the circumstances. It is a perfect
plan.

((I must pass the word along to Lord Daimler. In fact, it would be ideal to
make our final push for Demio at that time. With the queen out of the way,
there's not anyone who can really take her place.)) The spymaster began to
prepare a message to send back to the Vanden Plaz. Between the might of his
own Italian forces, Berlina's Japanese group, and Daimler's German war
machine, they should be able to take this universe with no trouble. And
once that was complete, the conquest of their homeworld would begin in
earnest, and the world would be theirs.

~*~

"General Presea, I beseech you," the young man in Autozamian clothing said,
"I want to join the military, or the Guard. I want to avenge my brother's
death." Around him, several Cephiran officers and Guardsmen enjoyed a
chuckle at the young man's bravado.

"Look, kid, you can't be more than, what, 14? 15?" She looked at him,
noting that there was something familiar about his black hair, green eyes,
and the form of his features. ((He looks really familiar, but I can't place
the face.))

"I'm seventeen, and more than capable of whatever needs to be done, General.
Like my brother before me, I'm a whiz at tech, and you need a guy like me
out there on the field!"

"Look, um, kid--"

"The name's Prizm. Geo Prizm, ma'am," he retorted. "An' I ain't a kid!"
The young man stood before her, the embers of anger growing in his eyes.
"Those bastards killed Metro, and I want their hides!"

At the mention of the name, Presea looked at him oddly. Several of the
others stopped their chuckles and looked at the boy with new eyes. "You're
Metro's brother?"

"Yes ma'am. He and Zazu taught me a lot of what they know, as well as how
to fight. I came out all the way from my village to avenge him, and one way
or another, I will, if I get your help or not!"

"Can you pilot an FTO?" ((Not that we have many left....))

"Can I pilot them? General, I can *build* them! I have a design for an
advanced FTO, which is better than any of the current leftover Autozamian
models you have." He held up a small data wafer and said proudly, "I call
it the Aerostar, and it'll do circles around our own FTOs, and it's more
than a match for anything the enemy has."

That caught Alero's attention. "Hey, wait--how do you know about the enemy
FTOs? That's classified information!"

Prizm looked at Alero with total disdain. "Tell that to the people of
Vauxhall. They're being slaughtered by them!" Turning back to Presea, he
said, "Please, ma'am! I have to do this! I just have to!"

Presea smiled; it wasn't so long ago that she'd dealt with teenagers that
wanted to save the world, and look how they turned out. Besides, her sister
would have taken a chance on them, and if that's what she would have done,
Presea would do no less. "Okay. Alero, contact Sintra and tell her we have
a new candidate for the Guard." Turning to Prizm, she said, "Admittedly,
while you'll be doing mostly defense and constabulary work in the Guard, it
will allow you to build the skills that you will need. Good luck to you,
young man. You will need it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other
business to attend to."

Geo Prizm gave the General an earnest, cheery grin as she departed the room.
"I don't need luck. All I need is a chance to avenge Metro, and that'll be
all for me."

~*~

Daimler stood in front of the forces that would be heading back to Earth.
There were five of them: Dacia, the recently wounded leader of the group,
wore a pair of sunglasses over his maimed and ruined eye; perhaps by the
time he returned, Sharan might be able to fashion some sort of replacement
for it--anything was turning out to be possible with the Autozamian
technology at their fingertips. To his side, stood Astra and Cupra, a pair
of almost identical men, swarthy and strong and definitely the pure image of
Aryan bliss that the Fuhrer had in mind. To their side, dressed almost in
the robes of a priest, was Barina, their mage. He would be responsible for
getting them to and from Japan. It would be dangerous, as he was their only
remaining mage, but if the plan succeeded, it would be well worth the risk.

There was still someone missing. "Where is that damned woman Estima?"

"Right here," a voice said from above him. There was the movement of
shadow, a glistening of white, and the sound of splashing water. Appearing
right before him was a vision of Japanese loveliness, a young woman with
light green eyes, fair skin, and hair black as night. She stood before him
in a kimono, though there was a hint that she wore something beneath. "I
was sent to aid you, Daimler. My mistress Botan commands that I do so, and
I shall."

Daimler looked at Estima with disdain. Another one of those rutting
Japanese women under Berlina's command, whose talents were to tempt men and
bring them asunder. Fortunately, unlike, say, the Water Knight, or even the
Pillar and her cronies, the Imperial Japanese that served with the Vanden
Plaz could be trusted.

The group complete, Daimler addressed them, though his eyes were on the
expanse of Cephiro's clear blue sky. "I don't think I need to remind you of
how vital this operation is to the success for our forces here."

Dacia's gruff voice echoed out for all to hear: "We are well aware of the
situation, Lord Daimler, and will do our best to ensure that we will succeed
for the glory of the Fatherland."

Daimler's eyes flashed with a sort of passive anger. "Just like you
succeeded in capturing the last of those pests they call fairies? You lost
your eye as a result of your carelessness, Dacia. Don't let it happen
again, or you may not make it back this time."

Estima laughed, her voice caressed in musical tones. "Do not worry,
Daimler. Your band of gaijin will be safe in my hands, although I will deal
with them myself if they screw up."

"You are not in charge of this operation, Estima. You would do well to
remember that and remember your place, woman."

Estima looked at him with eyes that were as cool and aloof as the color they
showed, and commented simply, "Estima is only a name of convenience. I bear
the name of Kukogawa Aikawa, and that is who I truly am." She sauntered
over to him with the grace of a geisha and whispered, "This is my land we
are traveling to, my world. I am in charge, despite whichever of these
fools thinks himself in command. And if they think they can control me, I
say only this: fox magic is to be wary of."

Barina, the mage, looked at her and said, "As you wish, Estima. You know
the lands better than we do, so we shall leave you in command of the
situation."

The woman smiled, her countenance seeming both feral and refined at the same
time, an interplay that seemed to make sense for all its difference. "Thank
you for your wisdom, Barina. There may be hope for you gaijin yet."

"Then see to your duties, all of you. Seig Heil." Raising his arm, he
saluted the expeditionary forces and watched as they began the traveling
sequence. Their bodies began to glow with an unusual light, turning into
small galaxies of lights. Five arcs of power encircled them, and the
galaxies seemed to become one with the arcs of energy. Finally, the
transport spells lifted off the ground, and bolted into the sky. A few
seconds later, there was a rainbow burst of liquid colors as the five
spheres burst through the dimensional barrier.

His forces away on their mission, Daimler turned away from his watching, and
to his next task at hand. Soon the Pillar herself would be falling into his
trap, and there would be no chance for the Cephirans to win. This world, as
Autozam and Chizetam before it would fall, and so would Fahren. And when
that was done, their true mission--the return to conquer Earth would
commence.

Headed down to his personal laboratories, he knew that his plan would be
risky and possibly lethal. But if it worked, he would have the power of a
god at his fingertips, and a pliant slave to do whatever he wished. And he
would rule all in the name of the Fuhrer. The Fourth Reich would begin
soon.

~*~

Horses raced across the plains of Cephiro, striding away from the palace,
headed towards a stretch of mountains in the distance. Seven steeds, all
strong and swift, all bearing their riders towards the Catera Ridge, all
under the shining light of the afternoon sun. Within the party rode two
finely armored women, the Wind Knight and the Water Squire, the green
dress-like armor of the Wind Knight and the blue armor of the Water Squire
signaling to those that watched that the Magic Knights were once again on
the ride for the sake of Cephiro.

Their leader, the Fire Knight Commander, for some reason was not wearing her
armor. Racing on her own horse, she wore simple clothing that appeared as
though she was from Fahren or China, on Earth. Hikaru had informed Fuu that
she had no plans to don the Fire Knight armor, as she no longer needed it;
she would instead wear the clothing that marked her as a Saotome, the same
clothing that her husband and his sister wore. The three martial artists
rode their horses, though it was clear that Ranma and Nabiki weren't as used
to horses as Hikaru and her fellow Knights were.

Finally, bringing up the rear was Michael and Shiki. Shiki chose a simple
T-shirt and jeans, similar to what Michael had been wearing. Michael
scanned the horizon occasionally with a pair of binoculars, taking the time
to adjust settings on a high-powered rifle that he carried with him. Shiki,
for her part, rode as close to Michael as possible, looking at him every so
often as though she wanted to be a part of his all-consuming love and joy.

Fuu pulled up aside Hikaru. "Y'know, this reminds me of the old days,
except we're not on foot like last time."

Hikaru smiled. "Okay, maybe one of us should have asked Mokona to come up
with some sort of transportation for us. But I don't think any of us knew
how to drive back then, and I'm certainly not coming up with a car, now."
Hikaru watched as a pair of butterflies zoomed by, blissfully unaware of
anything save their own lives. "It's been so long since I've gone through
Cephiro, I wonder if anyone will remember me?"

"Hikaru, you have a glow to you, something that defines you as otherworldly.
People can't help but notice you." Fuu looked at the Water Squire, not
saying anything to anyone, but merely riding alone and aloof. "Speaking of
noticing, I've noticed you're not wearing your Fire Armor. What's wrong?"

"It's simple, Fuu: I may be the Fire Knight Commander, I may be the Pillar,
but I am Saotome Hikaru when all is said and done. I don't need the armor,
anymore. I'll still use the Fire Sword, but the image of the Fire Knight
isn't me anymore, and you know I will not wear the robes of the Pillar."
She tugged on her tang for emphasis. "This is who I am now: a mother, a
wife, and a martial arts and kendo instructor. And as you said, I have a
glow, so I stick out like a sore thumb, anyway." She looked at Fuu's Wind
Knight gear and asked, "I know that you don't wear the armor on a regular
basis, and I'm assuming you don't wear the royal robes of the Queen of
Cephiro regularly, either, do you?"

"No, I don't. But I have to a lot: I'm a symbol of the majesty of both the
Crown and of the Wind Knight."

"And that's fine for you, Fuu, but I'd rather be a symbol of belief that
things will be normal again. And the only way I feel I can do that is not
by being the Knight Commander or the Pillar, but by just being Saotome
Hikaru, a woman who happens to be the previous two entities." She gave her
old friend a smile. "And even so, still having you by my side, my old
friend, makes it all worthwhile." The two women, feeling much more at ease,
allowed their conversation to continue on towards other venues.

Ranma, on the other hand, tuned out his wife's conversation. He had other
topics on his mind. At the moment, he steered the horse away from Hikaru
and Fuu, allowing his wife some privacy with her old friend. Fortunately,
Hichan hadn't noticed, so she was still riding off alone, and Michael and
Shiki were in conversation about something that it would not be best to
intrude. Besides, he wanted time alone to think about his current set of
problems.

"Ranma, what's wrong? You've been morose since we left," Nabiki asked.
"Want to talk about it?"

"It's Ukyo," he admitted. "I've never seen her like this, sis. She's
always been a very willful and strong person, but today...you should have
seen her, Nabiki. Maybe you could have helped her; I sure wasn't able to."
Since Nabiki wasn't aware of the situation, Ranma quickly updated her on
what went on, from the first incident, right up to the conversation between
them and Ryoga. "Ryoga'll do what he can, but I don't think it'll help
much. And I feel like I abandoned her, in a sense."

"Don't think that, Ranma," Nabiki assured him. "I think she's just worried
because this is unlike any situation that we've ever been in before. These
aren't the same over-attitude martial artists that we usually deal
with--this is an army of killers that we're facing this time, professional
killers. Moreover, the Nazis weren't known for mercy and kindness, and we
all know that. She has some very valid fears, little brother, and they're
the same fears I have. I don't want to lose you any more than she does.
I've just been slightly better at hiding those feelings." She looked at
Ranma and said, "Just promise me that you won't try to play hero, Ranma.
Just do what you have to and don't put your life at needless risk. If you
can promise me that, that'll be enough for me, and I'm sure enough for
Hikaru."

"You've got a promise on that." Watching the same butterflies that Hikaru
had earlier, he said, "Thanks, sis. You always know the right things to
say."

"Hey, isn't that what big sisters are for?" She shrugged merrily as the
horses approached the beginning of what appeared to be a hillside pass, over
by a dark and sinister looking forest. Nabiki took one look into that dark,
primeval mass of twisted, gnarled trees, and shuddered. "What is that?" she
asked.

Without looking at her, Hichan answered. "That is the Forest of Silence.
It's a cursed place, where, for the most part, no magic can work. Over the
years, 'pockets' have developed where magic can be used; it was one of those
pockets where I found Minica while she was trying to escape from some Vanden
Plaz assassins. But for the most part, you have to be heavily armed to
enter that place, because the monsters within are nasty, and you don't have
the advantage of using magic to deal with them."

"So, being this close to the Forest on one side, and that ridge on the
other, it would make a nice place for an ambush," Michael said. He stopped
his horse, and grabbed the rifle, looking around in the scope. "I don't
like this at all," he said. "I think we're in trouble."

"But who the hell would know we're out here unle--*OOF*!!!" Hichan was
blasted off her horse by a sudden jet of water that seemed to come out of
nowhere. As she hit the ground, she rolled and in one smooth motion,
unsheathed her rapier. The ground exploded beneath her, knocking her back
as it began to form into an earth golem. *"AMBUSH!!!"* she screamed as she
leapt back up to her feet and attacked the monster that had just assailed
her.

All around the group, the ground began to rise, forming into creatures. Fuu
and Michael, carrying ranged weapons, rushed their horses away from the
immediate area, both going to higher ground for sniper positions. As they
moved to ground, the air around them rippled as an immediate flash flood
filled the area where they were. Michael had just enough time to shout,
*"OH SHIT!!!"* before the wave enveloped him and the Wind Knight.

Hikaru leapt off her horse as a monster appeared directly underneath it,
shattering the animal's rib cage as it punched through it. In her leap she
aimed for the nearest golem, attacking it with a flying kick, rebounding off
it and yanking out the Fire Sword from netherspace. Within seconds, she'd
begun to swing the blade like a scythe, lopping appendages and sections off
the creatures as more of them appeared.

Shiki leapt off her own horse as it ran off, fearing for its own life.
Landing on the ground, she turned and heard the sounds of a band of heavily
armed Germans racing towards her on what appeared to be hovercycles of some
sort. Dropping into an offensive stance, she yelled, "I am Nijirono
Shikisai of the Nijorono School of Freestyle Shotokan, challenge you all,
you cowards!" Holding her hands before her, she charged up her attack and
screamed, "Unsanmushodama!" releasing her beam of emerald ki upon the
oncoming vehicles. Two of them exploded, throwing their drivers clear of
the flaming wreckage, though the rest of the wave came upon them.

A silent signal passed between brother and sister and as one, Ranma and
Nabiki leapt from their horses. Two monsters appeared on either side of the
martial artists, but they were more than ready. Ranma screamed, *"TENSHIN
AMAGURIKEN!!!"* and immediately cut down the two golems on his side.
Without even bothering to worry, he moved towards Hikaru's side, throwing
himself into a flying kick, and upon connection with the nearest golem,
carved it to pieces with a series of rapid kicks. Charging up his ki, he
screamed, *"YOU'RE NOT GONNA WIN, YOU BASTARDS!!!!! SAOTOME YAMASENKEN
ATTACK, KIJIN RAISHU DAN!!!!!!"* The twin crescent blades of energy he
unleashed cut a path through several of the monsters before crashing into
the side of the ridge and carving a massive hole in it as they exploded.

As for Nabiki, she hit the ground, ducking under the strike of one of the
golems. Following his momentum, she punched upward, shattering its arm and
breaking it off. Catching it, she rammed it against the side of its head,
knocking that off. Sidestepping to avoid another assault, she taunted,
"C'mon, mud boys! Let's see how well you can dance!" First swirling with
crimson energy, she roared, *"TENDO SPECIAL ATTACK, MUCHITSUJO
BAKAHATSU!!!!"* and slammed her fist straight into the ground. At once,
concentric rings of ki rippled out from her hand, rocking and rolling the
ground beneath the monsters sweeping them off their feet and shaking them to
bits. Seeing that Shiki was already charging a group of Nazis that were
rushing in, she raced to the girl's side, ready to back her up, lest she get
overwhelmed.

Fuu scrambled to her feet, soaked to the bone, and quickly grabbed her bow.
Nocking and drawing with the grace and speed of the wind, she loosed her
first volley against the oncoming Nazis, taking down several of them with
her shots. In return, energy blasts came her way, followed by smaller jets
of water. They impacted against the rock face in a single blow, causing a
small cloud of steam that obscured her vision. She called out "Midori no
Shippuu!" and cleared everything away with a blast of jade wind. Racing
forward, still aiming and firing her bow, she tripped over an unconscious
and soaked Michael, whose body felt damp from the steam and was oddly
surrounded by dozens of duck feathers. Not really knowing what the hell
that meant, she grabbed him and did the only thing she could: began to drag
him to the safety of a nearby boulder. "Hikaru!" Fuu cried out. "We're
outnumbered! What's the plan?"

The Fire Knight swung her blade, embedded it in the chest of another golem,
turned and punched her fist through a second, then reached back, retrieved
her blade, and threw it like a boomerang, the Fire Sword slicing through
three more. Leaping back to avoid the hamfist punch of yet another golem,
she responded by landing an arc kick to its shoulder, sending it spinning,
and as it tried to rebalance itself, skewered it with a well-placed
fireball. Reaching out her hand, a gout of flame erupted into being, and
she began attacking once more with her sword. Hearing Fuu's cry, she
shouted, "Fuu, I've got a plan! Head towards the Forest of Silence!"

*"ARE YOU INSANE?!?!?!?"* Hichan shouted, blasting a nearby pair of golems
with the Mizu no Ryu. *"WE'LL BE POWERLESS!!!!!! AND, WE'LL HAVE TO DEAL
WITH THE MONSTERS ALREADY IN THE FOREST!!!!!!!"* She stabbed through
another golem, and saw that their numbers were increasing; for every one
they'd obliterated, three more were coming out of the ground. "Okay, we'll
go with your plan, but if it falls apart, don't say I didn't tell you so!"

~*~

Racing down in one of the hovercrafts, Trabant screamed out,
*"WATERSPOUT!!!!"* and pointed his hand forward. A massive blast of water
raced from his palms, aiming towards the group of Cephiran heroes. "Run,
vermin, it will do you no good!" he called out, his voice full of glee.
Shouting to the hovercycle near him, he said, "Jetta, it seems that your
Geoslaves are having quite an effect on our visitors. Look at them!
They're running like cowards!"

Jetta looked back at Trabant. "It looks like they're pretty powerful,
Trabant. They've managed to destroy the first wave of my Geoslaves, and
looks like they're regrouping, heading into the forest over there!" She
raised her arms into the air, and more of her golems began to sprout from
the ground. "That should keep them busy until we arrive." Turning to the
assembly of forces, she called out, "Prepare for battle, men! This should
be an easy thing to deal with, after we pick up what my Geoslaves have
destroyed!"

It was an eerie sight, dozens of golems rising from the earth as though they
were the undead, while the combatants began to turn tail and run,
occasionally taking the time to turn and blow apart any Geoslaves that may
have gotten too close. As the remainder of the Cephiran forces raced into
the Forest, one single person was covering their retreat, a man who was
taking on wave after wave of the Geoslaves.

And winning.

With a flair and style that was unbelievable if the two Nazi lieutenants had
not seen it with their own eyes, a single man was dodging and destroying the
Geoslaves with ridiculous ease. Darting in and out of their reach with
incredible agility, he was destroying them by some means of wrist weapons
that they couldn't see. For a second, it seemed as though he was tearing
them apart with his bare fists and that he was summoning up the energy from
his own body, but that was hardly possible--they weren't feeling any magic
coming from him. There was a shout of "Kijin Raishu Dan!" and twin blasts
of energy raced towards the attack group. There was only enough time for
Trabant and Jetta to maneuver their units out of the way, but even so, there
was a price: the three rearmost cycles and their drivers went up in
explosive balls of flame, spinning out of control and crashing against the
ridge or slamming to the ground.

"I will deal with him, personally; he seems like the perfect challenge!"
Racing towards Ranma, he loosed an extra strong blast of water at the
martial artist, the German's way of throwing down his gauntlet at the
martial artist.

~*~

*"RANMA, GET OVER HERE!!!"* Hikaru cried, *"We're okay! We're in the
Forest!"* From where she stood, ensuring that the rest of the group got
into the relative safety of the Forest's perimeter, things were not looking
good. Michael had been hit with one of the magical water blasts that one of
them threw, and it had knocked him out. Nabiki and Shiki were a bit tired
but otherwise okay. Fuu was reaching exhaustion, having dragged Michael to
safety while still engaging the enemy. Hichan was unharmed and watching the
Forest perimeter for further attacks. That just left Ranma, covering their
backside.

As she watched him, she felt a strong sense of pride and love well up in
her. There was nothing that could touch him, nothing at all. Although the
golems weren't that fast, compared to Ranma, they may as well have been,
well, dirt and rocks. Without really even trying, he was juking and
attacking, a whirlwind of punches, kicks, and ki-strikes that was leaving an
increasingly larger and larger pile of dirt at his feet. It was just the
way he moved, as wild and untamable as his namesake. She smiled a personal
grin; no matter what Hichan, Sintra or any other woman thought, he was hers
and hers alone. She was virtually hypnotized in watching the beyond
rhythmic movements of his attacks and counters.

So it completely caught her off-guard when he was hit with a massive water
attack, which threw him for a loop and propelled him straight into the
Forest of Silence. The blur that was Ranma got smaller, more dainty, and
changed hair color, and an all-too familiar female form crashed painfully
into the side of a tree, fingers splayed in the oyazoku posu. "Owwwwww...."
Ranma moaned as she picked herself off the ground, soaking wet--her water
magnetism struck again.

Immediately, Fuu raced to her side. "Hikaru, are you okay? Looks like you
took a nasty hit."

Ranma scrambled back to her feet, shrugging off Fuu's concern and not
realizing she'd been mistaken for her wife. "Don't worry, I've put up with
a lot worse." Making a fist, azure ki erupted from it as though it were a
star in the initial stage of supernova, and Ranma barked, "Those goons are
going to pay."

"Ranma, are you alright, anata?" Hikaru raced through the underbrush,
reaching her husband's side. "You took an awfully nasty hit and...oh
great--you're female again." The tone of her voice was so matter-of-fact,
it almost seemed comical.

"Sorry, dear," Ranma replied, scrambling off the ground, taking off her
shirt and wringing it out. "But I can stay like this until things calm
down." Ranma momentarily considered taking off her black T-shirt and
wringing that out, too, but refrained, as Michael, though unconscious, was a
male and there was no need to exacerbate the situation. "Think you can at
least dry out my clothing?"

"Sorry, but we're in the Forest of Silence. My Fire Magic's nulled, and I'm
not going to attempt to try my Pillar powers here." In consolation, Hikaru
gave him a kiss on the cheek. "At least you're okay, that's the important
thing." Assured that Ranma was okay, Hikaru called to her sister-in-law.
"Nabiki! I'll need you and Shiki to get over here, so I can tell you the
plan."

"Sure thing, Hikaru," Nabiki answered as she raced over.

"Because we're in the Forest of Silence, our magic's not going to work, so
I'll need you, Ranma, and Shiki to do the brunt of the attacking. We'll
need you to lure them deeper into the forest, and from there, we'll attack
from the rear." She turned to her fellow knights and said, "Okay here's the
plan. You...oh, that's right. You didn't know, did you?"

Hikaru tried not to giggle as Fuu, Hichan, and Shiki stared at the soaked
redhead in complete shock. With the exception of a couple of minor details,
she was a perfect match for Hikaru. Turning to Nabiki, she wryly commented,
"I forgot to mention a couple of details, didn't I?"

"It would appear so, but look on the bright side: maybe this'll shock Hichan
out of chasing Ranma." She gave a studious look at the Water Squire and
added, "Then again, maybe not...."

Meanwhile, the other three women were dealing with the new wrinkle in their
current problem. "Who are you?" Hichan asked, afraid that she was going to
have to compete with two redhead bimbos for Ranma's affection. "And...what
happened to my Ranma?"

Fuu looked at the newcomer and said one simple word, as though it would
explain everything: "Nova...."

The soaked redhead was about to explain, when the treeline above them
exploded in a haze of wood splinters. Energy bolts and bullets immediately
filled the air, and everything became cacophony as birds, animals and
kami-knew-what began to make noise, frightened by the sounds of warfare in
the Forest of Silence.

"C'mon!" Ranma screamed, dragging Hikaru and Nabiki and pulling them deeper
into the brush. The others, not wanting to argue, followed, Michael coming
too just in time to be dragged along. Ranma turned and noted the team of
Nazis chasing after them, and had enough. "The rest of you, keep running
forward! I'm going to deal with this!" Appearing to defy gravity with a
vengeance, the new redhead leapt into a nearby tree, running along the
length of one of the thinner branches and shouted, "I'll deal with this
bunch--you go on ahead!"

As Ranma raced off, she could feel the worried stares of Nabiki and Hikaru
on the back of her neck. She was doing exactly what she promised she
wouldn't do. But there was no other choice, the martial artist felt.
Sometimes one had to risk one's life, if it meant saving the things that
were most important. Akane had taught Ranma that, and it would be a lesson
she would take to her grave.

Noting that they were taking pains not to be noticed in the Forest, in the
field, Ranma leapt into the grove of trees nearest them and raced upon the
branches until she was able to position herself perfectly; they'd never know
what hit them. Teeth and fists clenched in fury, the redhead leapt straight
down into the center of the group and immediately engaged in her attack.
The kempo grandmaster unleashed a flurry of punches on the most immediate
target, dropping him like the scum that he was. The rest of them, startled,
trained rifles on her, but the legendary martial artist had been expecting
that and rebounded off a nearby tree, staying far clear of their fire.

"Give up now, and I won't have to hurt you," Ranma snarled, her eyes burning
with anger. "I really don't want to have to resort to senseless
violence...well, any more than I have already, but I will if I have to!"

"So you're the Pillar," one of the Nazis, a green-haired woman, replied as
she crossed her arms. "You've just made your life forfeit, woman." The
woman pointed her hand at Ranma and canted, "Earthcage," but nothing
happened. She tried it again, and once more, all in vain. She stared at
her hand in complete shock, wondering what had just gone wrong.

((So they think I'm Hikaru, huh? Well then, better put the fear of a
goddess into them!)) Ranma's response was to charge up her ki and drop into
a combat stance, taunting, "You forced my hand, and now I act! This is the
Forest of Silence, where no magic works, save my own; you have come at your
own peril! I am the Pillar, the goddess of this realm, and I will end
this!!!! *MOKO TAKABISHA!!!!!!!!!*" Almost enjoying the joke, Ranma threw
the blast of energy at them, knowing they would get out of the way of her
ki-attack. But that wasn't the point. The point of the exercise was,
simply, their magic was gone. Ki was *not* magic. Therefore...the tide had
just shifted in the redhead's favor, with a bullet.

The massive blast of blue carved a huge path out of the Forest, creating a
new trail where it burned through. Trabant and Jetta looked in shock,
barely moving away from the blast. The beam continued to race out of the
cursed woodland and impacted against the ridge, completely shattering a
decent section of it, kicking up chunks of grass and blasting a boulder in
twain. Five of the stormtroopers had been caught in the blast, and
summarily incinerated in the process.

Seeing that she had a clear advantage, Ranma dashed towards Trabant, did a
tight mid-air roll, and executed the Kacchu Tenshin Amaguriken, loosing a
wave of 587 punches against the German warrior. Trabant quickly found
himself on the defensive, having to seriously hustle to outmaneuver each
thrust. However, it was all in vain as the Chestnut Fist Attack was fast
enough to tag him several times over, introducing him to a new world of
pain. Thrown back by the ferocity of the assault, the Vanden Plaz' Water
Mage was flung like a rag doll, to crash painfully against the side of a
stern tree.

Two more soldiers rushed her, but Ranma merely took them out with vicious
kicks to the head. "This is the last warning I'm going to give you. Leave
now, and you won't be hurt."

Jetta's response was to drop into a fighting stance of her own. "I think
I'm going to enjoy beating the hell out of you, traitorous bitch!"

Ranma sighed, wondering ((when will these idiots ever learn?)) Never mind
that she was fighting a woman, said woman was a Nazi and thus in Ranma's
mind was exempt from her usual prohibitions. "So be it," the Japanese woman
said as she rushed forward, assaulting her foe with a kick-punch combo,
causing widespread damage. Ranma intentionally did this, trying to go for
as little damage as possible to the woman. She had a plan, and if it worked
out correctly, it just might be the advantage they needed. Multiple trees
in the path of Ranma's attack were being either pulverized into wood chips,
or being flung to the four winds.

Jetta bounded from her perch to a tree behind Ranma as the martial artist
punched through a large, jutting natural crystal, reducing it to rock dust.
"Are you trying to frighten me?" the woman asked, "because if you are, it's
not going to work!" Rushing forward, the Earth Mage of the Vanden Plaz
attacked.

"No, just letting you know what you're in for," came the reply, as cold and
dark as the ground underneath her feet. To prove that matter, Ranma made
good on that advice, leaping into the air, bounding off a heavily damaged
tree, then launched herself into a diving kick. She slammed into Jetta at a
high speed, then initiated an elbow shot, throwing the other woman back.
Still having momentum, Ranma entered a rapid-kick combo that bored through
Jetta's hasty defenses, then spun and nailed her squarely with a slice kick
that sent her flying towards the ground.

The Nazi slowly got to her feet and looked at Ranma with eyes of rage. "Is
that the best you can do?"

"No, I had this saved!" Ranma leapt into the air, turned and screamed,
*"SAOTOME UMISENKEN ATTACK, ENTENKA SHOKYAKU!"* Glowing with energy, she
leapt towards Jetta in a flying kick, seeming to swirl with tendrils of
power, as though she were a comet or a solar flare. She connected with
Jetta's chest, and the world went black.

Reality restarted in a glowing burst of bioenergy that rivaled the sun, and
Ranma landed on the ground. Looking into the sky, she saw the woman thrown
with enough power to go severely airborne, something that she was painfully
familiar with, herself. If the woman was lucky, she'd reach escape velocity
and die a merciful death in the vacuum of space. If not, Ranma didn't envy
her the landing; the redhead doubted that such a person had the stamina and
strength that would be needed to survive such an event.

Crossing her arms, Ranma looked at the remaining Vanden Plaz soldiers and
asked, "Next batter up, please." The soldiers didn't need to be told twice;
they turned tail and ran. Not quite done with them yet, she went over to
the man she put under. Grabbing him by his tunic, she raised him up to her
eye level and slapped him awake. ((What to do now? How would Hikaru handle
this?))

The answer came instantly. Trying to be as calm as he could, he spoke to
the man. "I give you mercy, in the hopes that you'll take that back to your
people and tell them to leave. But if I see you again, it will be the end
of you." Not waiting for (or wanting to hear) his reply, she tossed him in
the general direction of his allies, allowing them to retreat. There would
likely be a second round, but those morons would take with them the message
that the Pillar was not to be trifled with, and that was good enough for
Ranma.

Dusting her hands off and having mixed feelings of relief and regret, Ranma
leapt back into the trees, racing back to where he'd last seen the others.
Likely Hikaru and Nabiki were going to give her the lecture of her life, but
that was unimportant to her: the fact that they were safe *was* important,
and to her that was the only thing that mattered at the momen--

"Ryusei Kenbu!"

In the distance, the voice lifted over the treetops. She knew Hikaru's
Meteor Sword Dance attack when she heard it, and if she'd heard it now, that
likely meant trouble.

"Kusottare," Ranma seethed as she raced towards the others and realizing
that putting a quick end to this whole escapade was not likely to occur.

~*~

As she completed dissecting a freakish-looking cyclops-plant hybrid of some
sort, the Knight Commander took a split-second to relax, but she couldn't.
Hikaru was seriously worried about her husband, and Ukyo's own fears filled
her mind for a second or two. However, she unfortunately didn't have time
to think about that; she had problems of her own.

While Ranma went off to battle, the rest of them managed to make it to a
nearby clearing. They wanted to avoid it, but several monsters appeared
behind them, and there wasn't much choice. However, entering the field
turned out to be even less of a good idea, as somehow, every single monster
in the Forest of Silence was now aware of their presence, and had decided to
turn this whole situation into a complete frenzy. The clearing was still in
the Forest of Silence, which left all but the martial artists and Michael
without extensive powers; worse yet, the monsters had a sizable number
advantage.

There was no other choice. Hikaru ordered an attack.

As the battle continued to rage, more and more creatures were being drawn
into the mess, which Hikaru didn't like one bit. Fortunately, this wasn't
Nerima--there weren't any concerns about the amount of damage being left in
their wake, nor having to explain to the police on what was going on. ((In
any case, that's the least of our problems,)) Hikaru thought.

Right now, there were so many creatures, she could only make out glimpses of
how the others were fairing. Fuu had resorted to pulling out her broadsword
and was hacking away, as was Hichan; both of them were holding their own,
but the monsters were doing serious damage. Michael, having fully recovered
now, was alternating between martial arts and an Uzi to keep things at bay;
he was likely the one best off at the moment. Also cutting wide swaths of
damage at the moment was Nabiki and Shiki, but they were both beginning to
flag in their strength, and who knew how much more they were able to
withstand?

As Hikaru chased down another monster, she moved like an inferno, cutting
down anything in her path, but it still wasn't making a dent in the numbers.
It was as though something had signaled to the beasts that it was feeding
time at the old clearing and that if you caught it, it was yours. None of
them were ready to die just yet, but they still had to survive this
conflict.

Meanwhile, the Knight Commander wasn't the only one involved in deep
conflict.

"Damn you, leave me alone!" Nabiki screamed, tangling with something that
resembled a cross between a lizard and an octopus. Although the creature
had an arms advantage, so to speak, it failed to keep up with her blazing
speed as she launched a rushing punch, fist burning with ki. When she hit
it, there was an explosion of energy, sending chunks of debris to the four
winds under the guidance of a plume of flame before somehow magically
disappearing. Not wasting any time, she engaged the next beast, leaping
into the air towards her opponent, ducking under the blow and cutting loose
with her flying uppercut. The creature, who was eerily reminiscent of
Pantyhose Taro's cursed form, was sent sprawling into the path of one of
Michael's grenades, and it disintegrated in a fiery, bloody blossom of
debris.

Swinging the Wind Sword with an angry fury, Fuu dodged, leapt and
counterattacked with all the non-magical skill she had. Even though the
number of attackers were immense, the queen of Cephiro had years of
experience on her since the day she started out as a young, naïve schoolgirl
with a penchant of referring to these things as "monster-san". Inwardly,
she chuckled at that; was there a time that she was that formal towards the
things that were trying to kill her? As she rammed her blade into the chest
of what seemed to be a whale with legs and oversized canines, she realized
that it was her way of detaching herself from these inhabitants of Cephiro.
But that was a long time ago, and a far different Fuu than the one that was
fighting now. ((And there are those days that maybe it was better to be the
detached girl who was calling these things by so formal a concept,)) she
thought as she engaged the next in line.

Leaping into the air, Hichan lopped off the arm of one unnatural creature
before landing, leaping back into the air and carving a second one in half.
All of her training, everything that her mother and father had taught her,
was being used to their utmost. ((Mama, I'm coming to save you, and there's
nothing that's going to stop me!!!!)) Screaming in rage, she moved her
blade with deadly speed and precision, the rapier moving like a flashing,
shining sliver of death, tearing apart everything that was and would be.
All she had to do was weather this, then she would be able to save her
mother. Once that was accomplished, maybe her parents would get back
together, which would leave her to take care of Minica, kick the redhead
bimbo's ass, and take Ranma's hand. All it would take would be getting
through this mess, and all the pieces would fall into place...and Ryuuzaki
Hikaru was certainly willing to make as many pieces fall as needed to
accomplish her goals.

Combining traditional martial arts with the more modern martial art of
carrying an Uzi, Michael was cutting down several creatures that looked like
moving inkspots. Still, they bled, and that was for the best. He was
fighting once again, once more for country and honor, something that was
alien to him a decade ago. Stepping into range, Michael slammed a fist
across the (possible) face of one of the monsters, turned and broadsided
them all with a spin kick, then as they backed off, he whipped the Uzi back
into range and shredded its head, black ichor spilling all over. He opened
fire, emptying the clip, then snapped his finger, making the Uzi disappear.
Snapping his fingers once more, he gave his enemies a wicked grin and
pointed his shotgun straight into the face of a second. *"Cliché time,
boys! This is my boomstick!"* and pulled the trigger with gusto. There was
an explosion of force, tossing back the newest group of beasts. Looking for
his allies, he waded into the next group, planning to take them down and get
to the side of his friends. He owed Ranma a debt of honor for tons of
reasons, and if the Nazis were active, as a member of the American
intelligence community he was obligated to do something about the vermin.
And just as important, he had to protect Shiki...she was climbing on the
roster of important things in his life, and he'd lost too many important
things already.

Shiki punched forward, releasing her projectile attack. The blast of ki
spiraled towards her opponents, slamming into its chest and pushing it back.
A creature that was reminiscent of a land-bound manta ray sailed through the
air, opening its mouth and flinging some sort of unknown energy at the
Chinese martial artist. Leaping out of the way, she initiated a spin kick,
spiraling round and round and round again, hitting her sizable foe each
time. She spun to the point where she was lifting several feet into the
air, before swatting the giant back to the floor with a well-placed ax-kick.
"C'mon, bugs! I am Nijirono Shikisai, and I will not be beaten by the likes
of you!" A creature similar to one of the ones that had attacked Michael
charged her, and almost hit her with an inky blast of some fluid. The
ground near her began to bubble from acid, and Shiki leapt back. "Is that
the best you can do?" she cried.

Without explanation or ceremony, all the monsters stopped their attacks.
The area went deathly silent, as though there was a scheduled intermission.
There was a soft rumble on the ground, and without warning, the legion of
monsters began to flee the area, as though something had absolutely
frightened them.

"I don't like the looks of it," Nabiki deadpanned. In response, the ground
rumbled again, a stronger tremor.

Michael snapped his fingers twice, banishing his shotgun and bringing up
what appeared to be an RPG launcher. "Whatever's doing that, I think we're
in for it."

There was an unnatural scream, and a section of the trees exploded in a
shower of dust, dirt, and wood. As the haze cleared, a huge monster, four
meters tall strode over them, radiating pure and utter power. Similar in
appearance to a sort of mutated lobster, the creature in question had eyes
that burned with animalistic fury and a gargantuan strength as it stared at
the group. Clearly, it had decided that it had found its quarry, as the
other fauna had left the clearing. This then was the top of the food chain
in the Forest of Silence, and it had found its newest meal. To prove its
mastery, it screamed a cry of power at a nearby grove of trees; a wide swath
of disintegration occurred as everything in the vicinity was obliterated in
an invisible wave of sonic force that rivaled the white soundblast of a
nuclear detonation. With its demonstration of power, the lobsterbeast
thought itself the proverbial King of the Hill.

Not a good idea to do around the goddess of the universe.

*"That's it--I have had enough of this! I am not going to put up with this
any more, damn it all!!!! I have been attacked, separated from my children,
dragged to another universe, worried to death about my husband and friends,
and I HAVE REACHED MY GODDAMN LIMIT!!!!!!!!!"* Calling up her innermost
reserves of strength and banishing her sword away, Hikaru went into a deep
focus, ready to show the monolithic being before her exactly who was
*really* at the top of the tree of life in this world. She opened her eyes,
and they went completely red with anger and frustration; the time for
dealing with this was long since past. Racing in at her top speed at the
moment, Hikaru snarled, *"This ends here and now!!!! SAOTOME MUSABETSU
KAKUTO RYU SPECIAL ATTACK, STEP ONE--SHIPPUDOTO SAMBYAKUDAN!!!!!!!"* Moving
on a scale that usually only her husband could move at, the Fire Knight
unleashed a blur of kicks and punches that in no way the monster could have
been able to counter; it was being pummeled senseless with each thunderous
blow that the redhead threw. Spinning and booting her opponent into the air
with an upward roundhouse kick, she turned to Nabiki and snarled, "Take
him."

Nabiki immediately bounded into the air, screaming, *"STEP
TWO--TENBATSUTEKIMEN SEMPUKYAKU!!!"* Matching her opponent's trajectory,
the master of Tendo Anything Goes Shotokan delivered her own blazing assault
of high-speed kicks in mid-air, releasing hellishly powerful strikes of ki
with each blow. Finally, she did a snapping spin in mid-air, and slammed
her opponent to earth courtesy of a downward ax kick.

As Nabiki landed on the ground nimbly, she noticed that the creature somehow
managed to stagger to its feet from the crater it'd created on its
none-too-graceful landing. Seeing that it was ready for more, she gasped,
"Hikaru, we're all going to have it hit it at once, and do it now, or it's
going to tear us apart!" Sure enough, the creature was opening its mouth,
ready to loose its sonic force against the assembly at hand.

Hikaru pulled her sword out from netherspace. It was going to be now or
never, and she wasn't sure if they were going to be able to pull it off.

She needn't have worried.

Just as the lobster creature reared its head back to unleash its blast, the
earth moved and the heavens shook as a pronouncement came from on nigh:
*"YOU STILL HAVE ME TO DEAL WITH!!! SAOTOME YAMASENKEN FINAL ATTACK,
REVISED--TENPENCHI YAKUSHIN!!!!"* There was a spectacular outward pulse of
azure energy, and as in the space of two seconds, a shadow-blurred Ranma
threw an Amaguriken to the chest, an aerial rounding snap kick to the face,
an elbow smash, a reverse snap kick, and a rapid trio of Kijin Raishu Dan
blasts that set up the creature for the final blow, a rising blast kick that
sent it into the air, where Ranma followed, punching with an Amaguriken
attack and knocking it back to the ground. As the redhead approached the
ground she created a massive sphere of ki, calling up the Hiryu Korin Dan
and slamming the creature with it, completely shattering its exoskeleton and
charring the remains in a mushroom cloud of energy and terrain as it was
buried fifty meters into the earth below, crater notwithstanding.

Standing in the center of the crater, Ranma was breathing heavily, before
gasping, "Sorry I was late. Had a hard time trying to find you all."
Hikaru gave her currently female husband a scowl, and Ranma couldn't help
but grin happily at her sister and wife, relieved that they were okay.
"Nabiki, Hikaru...wow. You two really held it together. I'm proud of you
both," she admitted.

Nabiki's eyes narrowed. "Saotome, you've got some explaining to do about
breaking promises." She stared at her brother for a couple of uncomfortable
minutes before intoning darkly, "Don't *ever* do that again." Hikaru just
stood there, giving her husband a glare on the level of the Akai Inazuma,
and figuring how long Ranma was going to be pulling sleep time on the couch.

"Love you too, sis. I was just as worried about you, too. Both of you,"
Ranma admitted, knowing that, with certainty, everything was her fault.
Again. As usual. Regardless of what world they were on. After all, the
fates forbade Ranma from getting constant breaks, and she was about due yet
another setback in her life. "I couldn't let those goons get at us; what
did you expect me to do?"

"Couldn't you have asked one of us to go with you?" Hikaru said, her voice
dripping acidly.

"I, um, didn't think of that," Ranma admitted, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"That was pretty obvious," the other redhead all but shouted.

In the meanwhile, now that the calamity was over, and everyone's mind began
to calm down, it was Fuu who voiced the question on everyone else's minds:
"Who are you?"

With that ever-familiar statement, the one that she'd said so many times it
seemed like a pat answer, she looked at the rest and said, "I'm, um, Saotome
Ranma. Sorry about this." As the others facefaulted, Ranma looked at
Hikaru. "You didn't tell them, did you?" Hikaru just simply turned away
from him, angry as hell, as did Nabiki. Turning back to Fuu, she gave a
quick explanation: "Okay, here's the tankoban version: when I was fifteen, I
fell into a cursed pool in China. The curse turns me into a girl when I get
hit with cold water, and back to normal when I get hit with hot water. It's
a complete coincidence that my female side looks almost exactly like my
dear, loving wife."

"Flattery isn't going to get you out of this one, Saotome," Ranma's "dear,
loving wife" remarked. Looking into the sky, she noted the setting sun and
sighed. "Let's get back onto the main trail. I doubt we'll be harassed
again, and we should be setting up camp for the night, soon anyway. Shall
we, Nabiki?"

"Why of course, dearest sister-in-law," Nabiki answered, falling right into
step. The rest, still somewhat shocked, also fell into step behind the
Knight Commander.

"Man, I can't ever get a break," Ranma groaned. "Even when I win, I lose."
Raising her hands to the heavens, she asked, "What did I do to deserve
this?"

"Here." Michael handed him a small flask; Ranma felt the warmth in it and
looked at the CIA operative curiously.

"So, what're you doing with hot water?" Ranma asked, unscrewing the top off
and lifting it towards her head.

"It's not water." As Ranma poured it over her head, beginning the
transformation, Michael clarified, "It's coffee. You might smell like Juan
Valdez and his donkey Pablo for a couple, but it's better than nothing,
right?" Placing a friendly hand on the now-male martial artist's shoulder,
he asked, "I take it you'll be sleeping in my tent tonight?"

"Yeah, I guess; I can stand my female form, but it's not something I care to
live in on a daily basis." Ranma watched as his wife continued walking, not
even bothering to look back to see what he was doing. "Yup, she's
definitely pissed at me. So, Michael, I have to admit, you didn't seem
surprised by my change. It's like you've seen it before, or something."

Michael laughed, quickly coming up with an excuse to cover the situation.
"Remind me to tell you sometime about the Lake of Souls in Kenya
sometime--after seeing what that did, I'm not surprised by much. C'mon,
let's catch up with the others. If you're lucky, I might have a dozen roses
with me that might get you out of your current situation."

~*~

"So you two got completely defeated by the Pillar?" Daimler looked at his
two defeated lieutenants, a critical gaze in his eyes. "Considering what
information we have about her, I really don't put much faith in your words."

Rubbing her arm, Jetta sighed; the appendage was likely broken. "Sir, the
Pillar isn't exactly like she seems, and her husband is more powerful than
we can imagine. I had my Geoslaves attack him, and he was taking them down
as though he was an entire division of Panzers. Once inside the Forest, we
were attacked by the Pillar herself, and she is as dangerous as her male.
These two are not to be trifled with, Lord Daimler, and I must recommend
extreme caution."

"Feh. Do you expect me to believe that a pair of inferior Japanese beat
you, the pride of the German forces? If the Italian or Japanese contingents
were in command of this fiasco, I would understand. But you two are of the
finest mystical Aryan blood! I expect better of you!" Eyes blazing with
fury, he snarled, "Report to the infirmary, and have Targa and Passat report
to me. We will have to deal with our adversaries in a more...effective
manner."

As the two disappeared from his chambers, he could only hope that the
expeditionary team would have more success than those two idiots. If not,
then he would have to go with his plans and that indeed would be a very
costly, and weighty decision. Looking out the window at the star-filled
skies, he knew it to be a symphony of light, one that would coo and sing to
him his eventual victory, even if he had to blot out their majesty
themselves.

~*~

It was early evening and the stars and twin moons of Cephiro were rising
into the nocturnal sky, Sebring with its pearly, Luna-like hue, and the red,
rusty sphere that was its lunar sibling, Lanos. Both of the moons were
haloed by dozens of stars, some near and some incredibly far away. One of
them, Ukyo surmised, might even be Sol itself, the star under which she and
her friends were born.

Sitting on the balcony railing overlooking the rose garden, it was hard for
the young woman to picture this place as a world at war. But at war it was,
and some of her loved ones were out there, possibly never to come back.
Especially Ranma, the one and only man she'd ever loved, the one person that
she'd dedicated her life to. Married or not, she'd dedicated her life to
him, and the thought of facing a life without him gripped her heart with
fear.

"Ukyo, relax. He'll come back. He always does," a voice said behind her.
"You know he'll be alright. He, Hikaru, and Nabiki will look out for each
other. There's no way that any of them would let the others come to harm."

Ukyo exhaled a gentle breath, composing her words. "Ryoga, I appreciate
your concern, but I can't change how I feel." She made a hand motion, and
it was clear that she was wiping away tears. The lost man moved a little
bit to see her face, and he wasn't wrong. "I'm terrified, Ryoga. For the
first time in my life, I'm genuinely afraid of losing him."

Ryoga hopped up to the ledge, then sat down next to her, putting a
comforting arm around the morose okonomiyaki chef. "I don't think I need to
point out that he's survived just about everything that has come his way.
He survived Saffron, Toma, Kirin, avalanches, and even Akane's death. He'll
make it through this as well. Don't you have faith in him?"

"I do, Ryoga," she whispered, "but I don't trust those he's fighting."
Looking at him, she asked, "All I've ever wanted was to love him, and I keep
losing him. What will happen to me if I lose him for good?"

Ryoga looked into her eyes and smiled. "That's a question you'll never have
to answer, and deep down, you know it."

Ukyo looked at her friend, and did something she rarely did: she lied.
Hopping off the railing and back onto the balcony, she said, "Thanks, Ryoga,
for cheering me up. I think I'm going to go to bed now." ((And cry myself
to sleep.))

He nodded and responded, "Anytime, Ukyo. Anytime. Oh, don't forget to meet
me at the training grounds tomorrow morning at six. We've got a lot of
ground to cover, and I want to make sure you're prepared."

"I will, thanks."

As Ukyo went back into the palace, Ryoga looked out at the moons, the stars,
and the skies that his friends were currently slumbering under, so many
kilometers from here. As though he was sending his friend a mental message,
he thought, ((Ranma, make it back soon. She needs you, and I don't know how
much I can be of help.)) Getting off the railing and heading back inside
himself, he added, ((Take care, my friend.))

~*~

In the middle of the night, Hikaru woke up to something unusual. She turned
and saw Nabiki still asleep in her sleeping bag, and couldn't figure out
exactly what it was. Turning over, she came face to face with a bouquet of
roses, red as flame and giving off the most pleasant scent there was.
Lifting them to her nose to take in more of the delicate touch of the rose's
aroma, she mentally winced as she realized who else should be in the tent
with her.

She set the flowers down and felt a bit guilty about what she did. Although
she and Nabiki had every right to be mad at Ranma for his antics, she'd also
disrupted the rest of the day. Even Nabiki, after giving him a decent
chewing out at dinner was no longer angry with him, but she was. Even the
tent arrangements had to be swapped somewhat because of her anger.

Opening up her mind, she searched for his presence, probably in Michael's
tent. Oddly enough, he wasn't sleeping there. Could Hichan be up to some
tricks? Ranma would never cheat on her, but that didn't preclude the Water
Squire attempting something; she'd heard plenty of "fiancée war stories"
from Ukyo and Nabiki, and that bothered her. Not wanting to take a chance,
Hikaru quietly slipped out of the tent, to look for her husband.

Under a gorgeous canopy of stars, the Fire Knight saw her husband, still
sitting at the campfire, occasionally firing a small bolt of ki onto it to
keep it lit, and watching the stars with a sense of longing that Hikaru
found troublesome. Had her anger done something to him? Was he now wishing
to be somewhere else, perhaps with Akane? Hikaru found she didn't have an
answer for that, and that in and of itself was another set of concerns. She
took one step towards him, but found that she wouldn't know what to say
right now. Feeling morose, she turned around and decided to go back to bed.
Things would be much less troubling in the morni--

"Hikaru." The redhead turned and found that Ranma wasn't even looking at
her, instead, continuing to watch the stars. Before she could ask, he
answered, "I knew it was you, love. I can always feel when you're near."
He turned to look at her finally, and the light from the bonfire made him
look otherworldly, as though he was the god and she the everyday mortal.
"Hikaru, I've thought about what happened today, and--"

"Anata, you don't have to apologize," she admitted, walking over to him and
sitting down beside him. "You were right and Nabiki and I were wrong. I
think Ukyo's paranoia set us off, and...." She looked at him, and there was
tender concern in her eyes. "You've trained for combat more than any person
I've ever known. I was a relative latecomer to the combat game, but I've
learned fast, and my magic has allowed me to learn faster. Nabiki learns
faster even than I do, I think. But we're human and still capable of dying,
and a part of me died just a little when I saw you get hit.

"Ranma, you can do amazing things with your talent. You can move in ways
I've never seen anyone do. You have powers and skills that outclass even
mine at times. But you're still human, you're still the person I love, and
you're still the person I'm going to worry about most while we're here."
She snuggled up closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder and watching
the starscape above.

There was nothing but silence for a few minutes, the pair simply watching
the canopy of jewels glittering in the ebon expanse. "Hikaru, I did what I
had to do because you and Nabiki were in danger. I have always fought
because it's a passion for me, but I have always fought hardest when those I
care about are in danger. I have no regrets, and I'll do it again if I have
to, if it means you two are safe. You two are capable, talented martial
artists, but I will never accept standing by and not doing something about
it if it's in my power to do something. You can't expect me to." He leaned
over and kissed her gently. "I love you too much to do that."

She sighed and wrapped her arms around him, glad that this problem was over
with. "Thank you for the roses, Ranma. Where'd you get them?" When he
didn't answer, she asked, "I'll bet it was the same place you got the coffee
bath, isn't it?"

"That obvious?"

"Not unless I started doing your laundry in Starbucks decaf, which I don't
remember doing."

"You should consider it. Adds for a nice cologne for him," a voice yawned.

"Sure, sis. And you can douse your shirt in cream," he added.

Nabiki stretched and said, "I just came out to make sure that you two were
doing okay, and to let you know that we love you, Ranma. But this isn't
Gotemba, and neither of us is Akane. I know you did what you did today
because you had to protect us, but you've also taught us how to protect
ourselves. Have some faith in us and your teaching abilities." She yawned
once more and said, "Get some sleep you two. We've got a long day ahead
tomorrow. And do me a favor: don't wake me up when you come into the tent,
ne?" With that, she left the two sitting watching the stars together, a
pair strong in their powers and their love. And that, Nabiki had to admit
to herself, was probably the strongest reason why she felt they would
survive this mess--not because Ranma or Hikaru was incredibly powerful, but
because both of them in the end, loved each other to the point that such a
love was stronger still.

"Oyasumi, little brother, Hikaru-chan," she whispered as she reached the
tent and took one last look at them. Her heart swelled with pride and love.
((Oh, Akane,)) she thought as she crawled into the tent and her sleeping
bag, ((you should be proud of him. He still survives, and thrives, and he's
done our family proud.))

As Nabiki went into the tent, Hikaru looked at her husband. "So, what are
you thinking of, anata?"

"I was thinking of the children, and Kasumi. I hope they're doing fine."

"So do I," she said, a tone of melancholy creeping back into her voice.
"I'm a poor excuse for a mother, being so far away from my children. I
wonder what your mother would think. Or mine, if she were still alive."

"Well," Ranma answered, "I would think that they would be proud to see you
do what you're doing. You came out here because you wanted to protect your
friends here, and because you wanted to protect your family. You made a
hard choice, but you made that choice because you were a mother who wanted
to defend her children, a wife who wanted to defend her husband, and a woman
who wanted to defend her friends." He gave Hikaru a kiss on the cheek, and
yawned. "Nabiki's right. We should get some sleep."

As Hikaru took his hand and led him towards the tent, she wondered aloud, "I
wonder how they're doing? I'm sure Akama is being a handful for Kasumi."

As they both crawled into the sleeping bag, Ranma kissed her gently and
assured her, "I'm sure that everything's fine, dear. What could go wrong?"

~*~

"FLIGHT 817, ARRIVING FROM BANGKOK."

A woman walked off the jetway, into the main concourse of Narita. An
average-sized Japanese woman, she had long hair that cascaded down the
length of her back, the shade a jet black, save for a long white swath that
streaked down the length of her mane. Her dark eyes had a cool, calculating
look in them, the look of a predator finally in the land of plenty. Despite
her long flight, her plum-colored kimono was perfect and exquisite, the
ideal image of the Japanese housewife. Under her arm, she carried a long
package, perhaps a parasol or something of equal length.

She gave the customs officer her passport, and the man took a cursory look
at it. "You've been gone from Japan for quite some time, miss. Welcome
back."

"Thank you," she replied in pleasant tones. "After my long training trip,
I'm looking forward to reuniting with my husband and child. I've been away
far too long."

"A training trip, you say?" the inspector asked, as routine and just to make
conversation with the alluring woman that stood before him. She was
obviously attractive, and was likely the pride of her husband.

"Yes. I was training to make myself the best martial artist, to be worthy
of my family's honor and my husband's name. I didn't feel that I was worthy
of taking his family name until I could improve my skills."

The man nodded sagely; it was a rare woman that respected such old ways, and
to find that quality in a girl so young spoke of refined breeding and good
stature. Handing her passport back to her, he said, "Well, I wish you the
best of luck, lady, and hope that you will be reunited with your family
soon."

Fuitamu Keiei, the woman known as the Black Blade, said, "I thank you for
your kindness, sir." With that, she took her passport and walked towards
the baggage claim. At long last, she was home, and it was time to take what
was rightfully hers. Seven years of exile, and that exile would end with
the deaths of Saotome Nabiki and Shidou Hikaru. Once that was done, she
would have a much deserved reunion with her husband and her child, and all
would be for the best.

((I've returned, Ranma,)) she thought, ((and when I am done, nothing will
ever separate us, ever again.))

~*~

There was disorientation for a second, and when it went away, five people
found themselves standing in the middle of a park. One gaijin, dressed in
the robes of a priest, three dressed in normal clothing, and a young
Japanese woman in a kimono, stood in the center of Mikasa Park, between the
train and the ancient museum ship known as the MIKASA.

Estima looked at the statue of Admiral Togo, then at the beached artifact
that was once his flagship a long time ago. The sun was setting over Tokyo
Bay and Yokosuka Harbor, over Monkey Island and the still waters that the
ship had longed to touch. "When I was last here, this was our Naval
Academy. I was brought here by Botan, shown the ways of civility here, and
brought to be her personal aide. When we assembled our group, I was made he
second in command because of my clever, clever ways. We thought we would
rule our corner of the world," the woman said, in a sorrowful tone.

Dacia looked across the way, over at the marina and to the set of buildings
that sat on the other side. There were several English-adorned buildings on
the other side, hinting that it was no longer the Japanese naval base it
used to be. This was proven true a minute later through his eyes; while the
German spoke no English, it was easy to make out the colors of the American
flag in the fading daylight. "And it seems that we know who now rules this
corner. This is the future of your home, Estima. I wonder if this a
similar fate has befallen the Fatherland."

One of Dacia's henchmen, a man named Cupra, all but bit off his scream of
rage. "This is a travesty!!! We cannot allow the Amerikaners and the
Allies to rule the world, my friends! We must take it back!!" As if
defying the American military facility across the marina, he shouted, *"WE
WILL DESTROY YOU AND BRING THE REICH BACK TO ITS PROPER PLACE!!!!!"*

Estima backhanded him. "You fool!" she seethed. "You will attract needless
attention. We already stand out here like sore thumbs, would you like to
get us arrested?!?!?!" As Cupra crumpled to the ground, she pulled out the
stack of pictures and looked at them intently. Holding up one of the
pictures, she said, "I know this place. I know where this is. This is
Nerima, a ward of Tokyo."

"How do you know?" Sharan asked.

"Nerima was the ward my lady Botan came from," Estima answered. "Botan's
family took me in, made me practically a part of their own family when they
knew I had none." The Japanese warrior gave Sharan a feral smile and cooed,
"If the Pillar's children are in Nerima, we will find them, and we will take
them. And I swear to you, if there is anyone that stands in our way, I
don't care who it is--I will personally tear them apart with my bare hands
and eviscerate them with my tantos. I am Kukogawa Aikawa, a Kitsune
Kunoichi, and I will win the day, no matter the cost!" With a flourish, she
headed towards the park exit, and the nearest train station. There was much
to plan, and children to capture.

NEXT:
Part Eight: Meanwhile....

AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Be prepared for a couple of surprises next chapter.

Special thanks goes to John Shearen for his description of Misaka Park, the
onetime Imperial Japanese Naval Academy. ^_^